Scoping

The most widely used method used to account for carbon emissions is the GHG protocol. This splits emissions into three scopes.

Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources.

Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the generation of energy bought for own use.

Scope 3: All other indirect emissions (not included in Scope 2) that occur across the value chain of the business, as a result of both upstream and downstream activities.

Complexity

Due to the complexity of reporting all three scopes, it is common practice in carbon accounting to report only on emissions derived from Scopes 1 and 2.

Sometimes these and the upstream emissions from Scope 3 are considered, this is referred to as ‘from cradle to grave’.

Completion

Completing one of the carbon calculators on the market is a great way to measure the carbon footprint of your business.

Many carbon calculators provide a result in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents, providing in depth information about the sources and sinks of your business's emissions.

What Next

NFU Energy has experience in carbon accounting, and we offer a consultancy service to:

Assist you in choosing the most appropriate calculator for your product or business.

Advise and help with the data inputs to ensure that you are getting a representative figure for your business.

Analyse your carbon equivalent emissions figure to further explain the results and give quantified recommendations on areas of improvement.