A Simple Guide to Carbon Footprints & Net Zero
Understand what your organisation needs to do
"The business world is waking up to the fact that combating climate change is not only a necessity but also represents an economic opportunity. Those that adapt will survive, those that anticipate will prosper."
- Chair of the Carbon Disclosure Project
The 2008 Climate Act commits the UK to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels). In June 2019, this was strengthened, with the UK government committing to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.
In order to achieve Net Zero, you need accurate reporting in place.
The benefits of thorough reporting include:
Ability to show your environmental credentials to potential customers, and meet tender requirements
Demonstrate you take your impact seriously to customers, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders
Reduce costs (e.g. waste and energy)
Boost your reputation and trust in your brand
Increase interest from investors who favour ESG investments
Meet sustainability goals and work towards government deadlines
Our planet’s future is impacted by the decisions your organisation makes TODAY.
What do you need to consider?
Your organisation needs to start by looking at what your current greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are, including:
Direct - GHG emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by your organisation, these are considered Scope 1.
Indirect - GHG emissions that are a consequence of the activities of your organisation, but occur at sources owned or controlled by another entity; these are then put into further two categories: Scope 2 - emissions from purchased energy, and Scope 3 - other indirection emissions, e.g. from supply chain (see diagram below).
Remember: your customers may need to calculate their emissions; your organisation will then need to provide information to form part of their Scope 3.
The importance of Scope 3
For many organisations, Scope 3 accounts for more than 70% (some up to 90%!) of emissions, so to get a full picture, Scope 3 is vital.
Some organisations will need to look at upstream emissions (those which originate during pre-production stages prior to reaching an organisation), as well as downstream emissions (those which occur after a product departs an organisation).
Achieving Net Zero
Once you’ve got your report, the next step is to look at ways to reduce your footprint and work towards Net Zero. This may include:
Reducing emissions - just a few examples:
Moving to more renewable energy sources
Improving energy efficiency
Sustainable transportation
Optimising production
Choosing sustainable suppliers
Waste management (reduce, reuse, recycle)
Removing carbon from the atmosphere, for example:
Planting trees
Exploring ways to sequester carbon
…and more, depending on your organisation’s activities
Carbon off-setting, for example:
Investing in projects that reduce emissions
Sounds like a lot of work? Not sure where to start?
It can feel complicated to gather the information needed. Whether your organisation needs to prepare its own report, or support a customer with theirs, we can help.
We’ll support you and your team, and make it easy to understand and jargon-free. We can help with:
Calculating your footprint and producing a carbon verification report
Recommendations for ways to reduce your footprint
Working with ISO 14064-1: a specification for reporting of greenhouse gas emissions
Utilitising ISO 14068-1: to plan your journey to carbon neutrality and net zero
Additional sustainability standards such as ISO 14001 - Environmental Management and ISO 50001 - Energy Management