Three ways to calculate your organisation’s carbon footprint
Since the launch of Oh Yes! Net Zero in March 2022, we’ve spoken to many members about their sustainability journeys: why reducing emissions is important to them, how they’re taking action towards their goals and what advice they’d give to other organisations keen to make a difference.
When it comes to sharing their learnings with other members, some common themes have emerged – and one tip that keeps coming up is the importance of calculating your baseline carbon footprint. Knowing what your carbon emissions are – and where they’re coming from – is a key part of creating a plan to reduce them.
If you’re ready to take this essential step towards net zero but need help to get started, here’s our summary of three common approaches to calculating your carbon footprint:
1. Using standard conversion factors
The UK government provides conversion factors that help UK-based organisations (and international organisations operating in the UK) quantify the emissions generated by their activities. Oh Yes! members who have taken this approach include Lemonclean, Turpin Accounting Services and Andrew Jackson Solicitors.
How it works
To use this method you’ll need to gather data on your activities that contribute to emissions, like electricity usage or fuel consumption. You then apply the relevant conversion factors to translate these activities into their carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
The pros and cons
Using conversion factors is a trusted method for reporting emissions and will also give you complete control over your calculations, enabling more customised reporting.
However, it does require time, effort and some technical expertise to collect the data and perform the calculations correctly, so businesses without the necessary internal resources may find it tricky to implement on their own.
Get started
You can gain guidance on using this method by attending one of our Carbon Clinic workshops, which are fully funded by Oh Yes! founding partner Reckitt and hosted by member BACB Renewables. Email melissa@ohyesnetzero.uk for details on available dates.
Otherwise, download the conversion factors and guidance for their use here.
2. Using an online carbon calculator
Another way to measure your emissions in-house is through an online carbon calculator that uses your organisation’s spending as a proxy for emissions. Among the Oh Yes! members who’ve used this method are Airco Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Vic Coupland and Pace Communications.
How it works
Once you’ve entered figures relating to your energy bills, transport costs and supplier expenses, the calculator will estimate your carbon footprint based on average emissions factors for those categories.
The pros and cons
Online calculators are designed for simplicity and ease of use so are a great starting point for businesses at the start of their sustainability journey. Because the calculations are based on your spending data and automated, this method is also time-efficient.
The main limitation is that since online calculators are based on averages, the results may not fully capture your organisation’s unique circumstances. They also may not be suitable for organisations needing highly detailed or customised data for reporting.
Get started
The Business Carbon Calculator by Normative is a free tool developed for use by small businesses in partnership with the SME Climate Hub, which aims to support SMEs globally to halve greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 and achieve net zero emissions before 2050.
We’ve recommended it to Oh Yes! Net Zero members taking part in our customer/supplier Carbon Clinics and have received positive feedback about how easy it is to use.
3. Employing a sustainability consultant
If you don’t have the time or expertise to measure your carbon footprint internally, hiring a sustainability consultant is a further option. Some of the Oh Yes! members who’ve done this are G.F Smith, Wykeland, Willerby and Future Humber.
How it works
Consultants specialising in carbon accounting will work with you to gather detailed data on all the contributing to your emissions and will calculate your footprint using industry-standard methodologies and tools such as the GHG Protocol. Some consultants, including Oh Yes! member Axiom, use their own specialist software to do the calculations.
The pros and cons
Consultants can provide an accurate and thorough analysis of your emissions, tailored to your specific needs and any reporting requirements you need to comply with. They can also offer strategic advice on reducing emissions and integrating sustainability into your business strategy.
The main drawback of using an external consultant is the cost, however, depending on the complexity of your operations, the benefits they offer may outweigh this – especially if you have significant sustainability goals.
Get started
An online search will direct you to consultants specialising in carbon accounting online – or, for recommendations from other Oh Yes! members, contact melissa@ohyesnetzero.co.uk.
Measuring is the first step in managing
Whichever method you choose to calculate your carbon footprint, establishing a baseline measure is crucial if you’re serious about taking action to reduce it.
As Heather Nixon, from Oh Yes! member Bio-D, says: “Understanding your carbon footprint is an important first step.
“Before we began measuring and reporting on our emissions we were doing what we thought were the right things but having the data meant we were able to prioritise activities that would give us the biggest impact.”