Carbon footprint reporting

Creating a carbon footprint is the essential first step in developing a carbon reduction strategy.

By gathering trusted, independent and clear evidence, you can inform and direct your strategy to reduce emissions and achieve net zero.

Regular carbon footprint reporting – annually is a good frequency – allows you to demonstrate progress in carbon reduction and understanding where emission reductions have been made following the baseline period.

Once you have a strong data collection framework, you can start to expand your footprint to cover all emission sources and revisit existing sources to make them more accurate and less reliant on estimations.

What we measure

The carbon footprint measures direct and indirect carbon emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3) and is calculated in line with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol emission scopes, which are:

• Scope 1: direct emissions from combustion of gas and other fuels.
• Scope 2: emissions resulting from the generation of electricity and other energy purchased (but generated elsewhere).
• Scope 3: Emissions made by third parties in connection with operational activities

Sample report

Here is our own summary carbon footprint report for 2022, to show where we are in this journey.

Methodology

All activities within our reports are undertaken by the criteria set out by the British Standards Institute PAS2060:2014, in line with the Green House Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard.

As with financial accounting and reporting, generally accepted GHG accounting principles are intended to underpin and guide GHG accounting and reporting to ensure that the reported information represents a faithful, true, and fair account of a company’s GHG emissions.

GHG accounting and reporting practices are evolving and are new to many businesses; however, the principles listed below are derived in part from generally accepted financial accounting and reporting principles. They also reflect the outcome of a collaborative process involving stakeholders from a wide range of technical, environmental, and accounting disciplines.

The carbon footprint and reporting are based on the following principles:

Relevance

Ensure the carbon footprint appropriately reflects the GHG emissions of the company and serves the decision-making needs of users – both internal and external to the company.

Completeness

Account for and report on all GHG emission sources and activities within the chosen boundary. Disclose and justify any specific exclusions.

Consistency

Use consistent methodologies to allow for meaningful comparisons of emissions over time. Transparently document any changes to the data, inventory boundary, methods, or any other relevant factors in the time series.

Transparency

Address all relevant issues in a factual and coherent manner, based on a clear audit trail. Disclose any relevant assumptions and make appropriate references to the accounting and calculation methodologies and data sources used.

Accuracy

Ensure that the quantification of GHG emissions is systematically neither over nor under actual emissions, as far as can be judged, and that uncertainties are reduced as far as practicable. Achieve sufficient accuracy to enable users to make decisions with reasonable assurance as to the integrity of the reported information.