News & Views

Understanding Your Carbon Footprint

We’re all inextricably responsible for the future of our climate and we need to understand the impact our actions have on the environment so that we can make educated, measured changes to our behaviours. Many businesses are now creating roadmaps to plot their journey towards Net-Zero. It’s been widely reported that as much as 85%>95% of a business’s carbon footprint falls within Scope 3 ‘Other Indirect Emissions’ . This is a complex subject in terms of both data capture and the ability to create change for any business. For this very reason, we’ve launched our Carbon Calculator so that our clients have visibility of the C02e equivalent impact of ‘Waste Disposal’.

We work closely with our supply chain to map the disposal routes of the materials our clients generate. Our Carbon Calculator utilises the UK Government Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Conversion Factors which are in line with the GHG protocol for preparing a corporate-level GHG emissions inventory.

Our Carbon Calculator presents information at local and corporate level, giving our clients easy to understand data at the click of a button via our ‘Hub’ portal. Our Sustainability Managers are analysing trends so that we’re able to advise clients on the impact that changes to buying behaviour have on their carbon footprint. We review historic data as well as current performance to show how we’re supporting clients in their journey towards Net-Zero.

Carbon Offsetting is a topic that divides opinion. One of the key arguments against offsetting emissions is the risk that major brands attempt to greenwash consumers by simply buying their way to a greener future rather than making changes to their current behaviours.

We categorically disagree with greenwashing. However, we believe that carbon offsetting should be viewed as a necessary solution in the short term whilst we deliver innovations that will considerably reduce our collective carbon footprint. Within our client Sustainability Plans we set clear targets to create year-on-year reductions in our carbon footprint and we encourage all of our clients to publish these commitments.

However, the reality is that we will generate carbon for as long as we consume our natural resources. This is where carbon offsetting does benefit the environment. We’re discussing certified carbon offset schemes with some of our key clients because of the positive impact this has on the environment. If you would like to talk to us about managing your materials and supporting your journey to Net-Zero then click here to find details of our sector experts.