Carbon Footprint
Step two - Intermediate
If you’ve already started measuring your carbon footprint, it’s important to ensure that the data you’ve gathered is accurate and that your methodology is robust.
This should include any data that you’ve chosen to exclude, and the reasons why, as well as what method you’ve chosen to get your calculation.
In this section, we’ll review your carbon footprint calculation to ensure it provides a reliable basis for your sustainability strategy. We’ll also begin to look at your Scope 3 emissions, which can be more complex to measure and often represent the largest share of your carbon footprint.
Checklist for your Carbon Footprint
- Check your data is accurate and based on actual usage, where possible.
- Use a recognised and trusted carbon footprint calculator.
- Verify that your chosen baseline year matches the methodology in your carbon footprint calculator.
- Record any data you have chosen to exclude and why, you can always update your calculation at a later date.
Scope 3 Emissions
Scope 3 emissions account for a significant portion of your business operations. Given their scale across your value chain and supply network, they can be one of the most challenging areas to measure. To help businesses naviate this, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol categories Scope 3 emissions into 15 areas:
Upstream emissions – before goods/services reach you
- Purchased Goods and Services
- Capital Goods
- Fuel and energy related activities
- Upstream Transportation and Distribution
- Operational Waste
- Business Travel
- Employee Commuting
- Upstream Leased Assets
Downstream emissions – after goods/services leave you
- Downstream Transportation and Distribution
- Processing of Sold Products
- Use of Sold Products
- End of Life of Sold Products
- Downstream Leased Assets
- Franchises
- Investments
As an SME, many of these 15 categories will not apply to your organisation, or may prove too difficult to quantify. Instead, you could focus on:
Upstream emissions
- Purchased Goods and Services
- Capital Goods
- Upstream Transportation and Distribution
- Operational Waste
- Business Travel
- Employee Commuting
Downstream emissions
- Downstream Transportation and Distribution
By including these categories in your Scope 3 emissions calculation, you can establish a solid baseline for measuring your carbon footprint. Remember to record what you have chosen to include or exclude from your calculation for transparency.
Key Considerations
- Focus on the biggest emission sources
- Tackle the areas where you have the most readily available data / access
- Go for the easy wins – prioritise the emission sources that will give you the greatest impact
Gathering Data
Scope 3 data can be difficult to find. For many businesses, emissions associated with Scope 3 will form the largest part of the carbon footprint. Use the template below to help you gather your energy usage data.
Carbon Footprint Calculators
There are several free online calculators available to help you calculate your footprint. These will provide you with a useful baseline figure against which you can begin to quantify your carbon footprint. See the list below for some recommendations:
- Carbon Trust – SME Carbon Footprint Calculator
- SME Climate Hub – Emissions measurement tool
- SSE Carbon Footprint Calculator for UK businesses
If you are looking to develop an accurate picture of your carbon footprint, you can create your own carbon footprint calculator, using the UK Government Conversion Factors for Greenhouse Gas reporting data, produced by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Select the relevant conversion factor publication for your chosen baseline year, and begin entering your data and information.
Alternatively, you can opt to use a paid service. Many platforms offer useful services that can link your accounting software and emissions data together. This is often preferred by larger organisations who may be required to report on their carbon footprint data.