Getting an initial audit: how to measure your company’s carbon emissions
The need to tackle climate change has given rise to a wealth of information aimed at companies eager to take those first steps towards ‘greening’ their brands.
The Carbon Trust has a range of resources to help organisations that want to start auditing and cutting emissions. Reading materials include a publication detailing the process of recording information on energy use while the trust also offers a fact sheet to demystify energy consumption data.
Help for those starting out is available online through the trust’s website. One section has a carbon footprint indicator that allows organisations to gain an approximate idea of the size of their footprint just by entering an annual energy spend and the type of company it is.
This part of the website allows users to order an energy–savings starter pack with tips on reducing energy bills. There are also more sector specific sector tips and links which enable users to create their own tailored energy saving action plan.
Those wanting a more detailed idea of the size of their footprint than that offered by the carbon footprint indicator can use the trust’s online calculator. Data on fuel, vehicle and electricity usage plus employee travel will be necessary to complete this. To use the calculator and access all the website offers in full, it will be necessary to register a web account with the trust.
For businesses with an annual energy spend of £50,000 or greater, the Carbon Trust offers a free ‘Carbon Survey’. According to the trust, each survey is 100% guaranteed to reveal where reductions in energy bills can be made. On average the survey has helped UK businesses save 20% on their energy bills.
Having a carbon survey carried out is a pretty simple process. The trust’s representatives make a visit to the premises, identify immediate low or no cost energy saving opportunities then follow this up by offering practical advice to help reduce costs over time.
But if there is a desire to independently verify and demonstrate to the outside world that your brand is serious about measuring, managing and reducing its impact on the environment, it may be worth looking into achieving the Carbon Trust Standard. Initial discussions with the trust will establish whether the business has the necessary information to support the application for certification or needs some further assistance.
Becoming more energy efficient not only tackles climate change but could also help save money on utility bills, no bad thing given the parlous state of the economy. Lowering your brand’s carbon footprint may sound like a daunting task at the outset, but taking those initial first steps has never been easier.
