Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

An effective carbon footprint should include direct and indirect emissions which will help an organisation manage their GHG emissions.

• Direct GHG emissions are emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the company
• Indirect GHG emissions are emissions that are a consequence of the activities of the company but occur at sources owned or controlled by another company.

For GHG accounting and reporting purposes these are broken down further into three ‘Scopes’.

• Scope 1: Direct GHG emissions that occur from sources that are owned or controlled by the organisation, such as fuel combustion (e.g. company fleet) or natural gas.
• Scope 2: Electricity indirect GHG emissions from the generation of purchased electricity consumed by the organisation
• Scope 3: Other indirect GHG emissions that are a consequence of the activities of the organisation but occur from sources not owned or controlled by the company. This would cover areas such as business travel, commuting, purchased goods and services and waste. It is also considered to be the scope from which some emission reporting is optional and are often the biggest part of an organisations carbon footprint. It can be challenging to quantify the emissions arising within this scope (e.g., supply chain).

We will work with you to identify the emissions that may be mandatory or material to your carbon footprint report and the data you have available. We can also look at continual improvement to develop future plans for expanding your reporting.

The primary aim of verification is to provide confidence to stakeholders that the reported information and associated statements represent a faithful, true and fair account of a company’s GHG emissions.

If you are looking to get your carbon footprint independently verified, it is recommended you follow an international standard such as ISO 14064-3 which specifies principles and requirements alongside providing guidance for verifying and validating greenhouse gas (GHG) statements. This involves a verification/validation being conducted and then an independent review by a third-party.

Reducing your GHG emissions helps mitigate climate change by lowering the amount you release into the atmosphere.

Once you’ve made the first steps to understanding your carbon footprint, this will help you identify your ‘hot spots’ and allow you to focus your emission reduction in the areas of highest impact, control and influence.

You can look to develop emission reduction strategies, set targets for improvement and monitor your emission reduction progress from your baseline through your annual carbon footprint.

A Carbon Reduction Plan documents the specific actions identified and progress made in reducing an organisation’s carbon footprint. This is supported by actions and measurable targets and can include validation through initiatives such as Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).

Carbon Neutrality can be confused with net zero, but they are not the same thing. An organisation can become carbon neutral by taking steps to remove the equivalent amount of GHGs that are being emitted by the organisation. It is a short-term state that most organisations can achieve immediately by measuring and offsetting residual emissions. It does not require any initial reduction emissions, but for subsequent years, you do have to reduce. The main difference between carbon neutral and net zero is the timeframe and how the target is reached.

Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted into the atmosphere and the amount removed from it. Achieving net zero means that any GHG emissions produced are offset by an equivalent amount of GHGs being removed, resulting in no net increase in atmospheric GHG levels.

Net zero is a long-term goal achieved only when an organisation has taken action to cut emissions and to remove any remaining greenhouse gases permanently. Offsets are only allowed for the small remaining unavoidable emissions.  Most organisations cannot achieve this today; it is a long-term goal.

The UK has legally committed through the Climate Change Act 2008 to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Carbon footprinting addresses GHG emissions, this is a great starting point for businesses because of the data availability, their correlation with energy use, and often with other environmental impacts.

ISO 14001 is a globally recognised standard that supports organisations in understanding and managing their wider environmental impacts. It provides a framework for improved environmental management helping you to reduce your resource use, improve the overall efficiency of your business and keep the environmental impact of your operations to a minimum.