How do you conduct a greenhouse gas inventory for a corporate client?

Understand the purpose, and start with your Why. What is the purpose of the analysis, and this helps define the scope. Is it across all direct client activities - scope 1, or beyond to all client inputs & suppliers - scope 3. From this scope definition the right approach can be chosen. If this is for a finance provider, investor, government agency, grant, sustainability reporting the requirements differ. But often the party requesting the detail can help provider guidance, definition and resources to help.

Determine which legal entities and subsidiaries will be included in the inventory. This may involve including or excluding certain operations based on ownership and control. Define the time period for the inventory, such as annual reporting cycles. Consider historical data if available to track emission trends over time. If the organization has equity share in joint ventures, consider including a share of the emissions from these ventures in the inventory.

There are 3 main approaches that can be adopted. From simplistic input calculations, to detailed reviews. There are consultancies who can provide formulations and methods, or complete the process directly and provide certification. For many purposes today a simplistic estimate based on the inputs the company or operation is consuming, can be applied. Which estimates the output of CO2 based on the inputs. For an in depth sustainability report, a more thorough audit of all operations and raw materials and beyond to suppliers, may be completed. Partners such as banks have models like these they use and can share.

Choosing the appropriate methodology to define the scope for a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory involves considering various factors: Clarify the purpose of the GHG inventory. Is it for regulatory compliance, internal management, or external reporting? Align the methodology with the organization's sustainability and climate goals. Identify applicable regulations and reporting frameworks. Different regions and sectors may have specific requirements. Ensure that the chosen methodology aligns with relevant reporting standards and guidelines. Consider widely accepted GHG accounting standards, such as the GHG Protocol developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

Collecting data for greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting involves gathering information on various emission sources and activities within an organization. 1.Identify Emission Sources 2.Establish Data Collection Boundaries 3.Engage Stakeholders 4.Use Existing Data Sources 5.Implement Monitoring Systems 6.Data Quality Assurance 7.Calculate Emission Factors 8.Quantify Direct /Indirect Emissions (Scope 1/2/3) 9.Data Documentation 10.Regularly Update Data 11.Data Verification 12.Continuous Improvement By following these steps, organizations can establish a robust data collection process that supports accurate and reliable GHG accounting. It's crucial to integrate GHG data collection into overall sustainability and environmental management practices

Finding the GHG emission for any organization is really important in today climate change era. Some basic steps can be: 1. Find the activity which produce all GHG emissions (include all 6 gases). 2. Trace those activities, measure them and record all the data. 3. Find the emission factor for each activity 4. Calculate the emission based on activity data and emission factor. 5. Report the emission and then optimize the activity to reduce those emission. Ofcourse, continuous monitoring is must.

My To Tips: as an ethical and truly resilient company, please calculate your GHG emissions (or carbon footprint put simply) taking into account the work from home. If your carbon footprint has reduced in last three years - so not claim a big victory immediately. This may be due to the fact that a large number of your employees worked from home during Covid-19 Pandemic. Many still continue to do. But their carbon footprint at home has gone up almost in the same proportion. So, as a consultant, I advise you to change your calculation methods. It may be difficult. The first step can be easy - ask your employees to share their pre-and-post Covid average electricity bills and calculate based on that.