How to calculate a Corporate Carbon Footprint

For any business that is serious about climate action, the starting point is always the same: calculating your corporate carbon footprint (CCF).

This lays the foundation for a carbon management plan—giving you unambiguous insights into your company's greenhouse gas emissions, where carbon hotspots lie within your business and what targets you can set to reduce your climate impact.  

We can help you measure Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions across your business in compliance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol). These are defined as follows:  

• Scope 1: Direct (greenhouse gas) emissions occur from sources that are owned or controlled by the company, for example, emissions from combustion in owned or controlled boilers, furnaces, vehicles, etc. 
• Scope 2: Accounts for (greenhouse gas) emissions from the generation of purchased electricity consumed by the company 
• Scope 3 emissions are a consequence of the activities of the company, but from sources not owned or controlled by the company. Scope 3 activities cover a wide range along a company’s entire value chain, including raw materials, logistics, business travel by the team, and how your employees commute to work. This category often accounts for a large chunk of your overall corporate carbon footprint 

How you can gather data for each of these scope categories is described clearly ClimatePartner’s cloud-based software tool. Simply log into the software, fill out the data fields and we will guide you during the data collection process.

Once we've finalized data collection together, all the activity data you've inputted (e.g. miles that were driven in a company car) are translated into carbon emission equivalents. This software allows you to see how various facets of your business impact your footprint in real-time. The result is a report tailored to your business, with a breakdown of your corporate footprint and where your hotspots lie so that you can prioritise action based on materiality.

We believe carbon accounting will soon become as ubiquitous as financial accounting – if it isn’t already mandatory for you to report your GHG emissions, it will be soon. What is exciting about measuring your corporate carbon footprint is how these results can inform an ambitious climate action plan. Calculating a CCF baseline year is a pre-requisite to developing a Climate Action Strategy, setting Science Based Targets and a Roadmap to Net Zero. 

A comprehensive CCF is also a core component of CSRD-compliant reporting.

Over time, you will develop a greater level of precision when it comes to your carbon footprint analysis. ClimatePartner’s product footprinting services allow you to delve into the value chains of your product ranges and get an accurate picture of the carbon emissions related to individual products. 

Would you like to learn more? Contact us, and we will provide you more detailed information.

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What's exciting about measuring your corporate carbon footprint is the potential to use the results as a jumping board for more ambitious climate action: developing a holistic and bespoke Climate Action Strategy for example. Once you know your baseline and where you stand, we can help you set carbon reduction targets and develop a roadmap to Net-Zero.

Over time, you can also get a greater level of precision when it comes to carbon footprint analysis. Our product footprinting services allow you to delve into the supply chains of your product ranges and get greater accuracy of the carbon emissions related to individual products. 

What can I expect from calculating my Corporate Carbon Footprint?

• Obtain a holistic understanding of your company's impact on global warming
• A carbon footprint report from a reputable 3rd party enabling you to report and disclose your carbon footprint externally
• Baseline data to set carbon reduction targets (ideally Science-Based), measure and report on progress
• Identification of emissions hotspots and where your investments can yield the greatest impact
• Ability to offset unabated emissions by financing climate projects

Why should I choose ClimatePartner?

• Over 15 years of experience partnering with over 5,000 clients in industries ranging from consumer goods and retail to finance, services, and manufacturing
• We have developed an exclusive database of thousands of emission factors, compiled from databases such as Ecoinvent, DEFRA, Agribalyse, etc., as well as its own proprietary data
• Our approach provides both precision and useful insights: accuracy matters to evaluate and track emission reductions so we will always recommend consumption-based accounting over spend-based accounting 
• Our methodology follows the GHG Protocol and is closely aligned with ISO 14064/PAS 2060 standards

See for yourself? Check out some of our success stories. 

How can we assist you? 

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