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Introduction to Carbon Footprint Calculations
Measuring your carbon footprint can help your organisation to become more sustainable, reduce costs, and become more efficient. It can also come with it’s own challenges, as the end result is only as accurate as the data you can provide.
What is a Carbon Footprint?
A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) that your organisation emits. This is usually measured in metric tons of CO2 equivalent, and is represented as a ‘CO2e’ figure.
Why should you measure your carbon footprint?
Measuring your carbon footprint helps you to identify the environmental impact of your operations. The UK’s Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting policy requires some organisations to annually report on their carbon footprint data. The guidance states you must report if you are an organisation that meets two or more of the following:
- A turnover of £36m or more
- A balance sheet of £18m or more
- 250 employees or more
Many SMEs do not need to report their carbon footprint, however it is still good practice to measure and understand where emissions come from within your business.
Challenges to be aware of
- It can take time – gathering data from your organisation requires some effort, especially if you’re starting from scratch.
- It can be difficult – you may not have access to complete records which can make getting accurate figures hard.
- Needs others to be supportive – not everyone might be on board with measuring your carbon footprint, or be willing to provide the data you need.
We’re here to help – over the following pages you will find templates, guides and more to support you with measuring your carbon footprint.
Get started
Step one
Beginner
Measuring your Carbon Footprint can seem like a daunting task. Here, you’ll find a guide on how to start measuring your carbon footprint by getting to grips with Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.
Step two
Intermediate
Carbon footprint calculations help you to see where your major sources of emissions are in your organisation. By this step, you should have calculated your carbon footprint.
Step three
Expert
Now that you’ve got your carbon footprint calculation, what do you do with it? Carbon footprint calculations help you to see where your major sources of emissions are in your organisation.