carbon reporting Archives

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We are hitting a crunch point in regard to keeping to the 1.5°C limit as set out in the Paris Agreement. It’s going to take a collective effort to reduce the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, which is exactly why we’re seeing an increase in legislation and regulations that call for tangible evidence of sustainability efforts to combat the rise in greenwashing.

If you’re looking for guidance on sustainability transparency, today’s guest has an initiative that can help.

In this episode Mel is joined by Charlie Martin, CEO and Founder of The Anti-Greenwash Charter, to discuss how their charter promotes transparency and accountability for sustainability claims, and how it can help consumers to identify credible carbon claims.

You’ll learn

What is The Anti-Greenwash Charter
How can the Charter ensure credible carbon claims?
What are the biggest challenges businesses face in measuring their carbon footprint?
How can The Anti-Greenwash Charter help consumers to spot credible carbon claims?
What role do governments and regulatory bodies play in combatting greenwashing?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Episode Summary – Charlie Martin joins Mel to discuss how The Anti-Greenwash Charter can help promote accountability and transparency in sustainability claims, and how it can help consumers identify credible carbon claims.

[01:50] What inspired the creation of The Anti-Greenwash Charter?: Charlie used to run an agency called Gusta, which was a UK based business that worked on sustainability communication for organisations in the built environment.

His focused shifted when the Competitions and Markets authority in the UK published their Green Claims Code alongside research which found that 40% of sustainability-related messaging online was misleading.

At the same time, they had 2 very proactive clients (1 of which was going through B Corp certification) that highlighted that the CMA had not named the built environment as one of the affected sectors. They pointed out that the built environment accounts for 40% of all emissions, so were likely to be targeted by such regulations next. They asked to run a campaign that would Increase confidence both internally within their sectors and externally in their sustainability messaging.

It was decided that a publicly available document would be the best way forward to proactively disclose their carbon reduction related activities. Other ideas were added for an editorial process to include legal, sustainability and marketing feedback ahead of publishing.

Essentially, the origins are rooted in the notion of a green claims policy, which developed into a more robust accreditation signatory.

[06:30] How does Charlie define Greenwashing?: Charlie defines greenwashing as “overstating or misleading stakeholders regarding the environmental credentials of an organization, service, or product.

Charlie explains that there are two types of greenwashing: direct and indirect. Direct greenwashing involves making false claims about a product’s environmental benefits, while indirect greenwashing involves making true claims that are irrelevant or misleading.

[08:00] What are the key principles of the charter, and how do you ensure adherence among signatories?: The 4 key principles are:

Accountability
Honesty
Fairness
Transparency

If you’d like to know more about each principle in more detail, visit The Anti-Greenwash Charter website.

Taking a look at transparency in more detail, it’s not just about sharing all the best sustainability related news for your business, it’s about being willing and upfront with areas where you’re not as strong.

One keyway they ensure signatories adhere to this principle involves publicly displacing their green claims policies. The first section of every policy is ‘where can we improve?’ – they specify this as there isn’t a company that is 100% environmentally sustainable, and businesses need to be honest about this if they want to improve.

[12:15] What are Charlie’s thoughts on the current state of Net Zero claims? There are some promising developments, such as the upcoming Green Claims Directive, which has more requirements set around how people make claims and being held accountable for those.

It’s challenging for everyone to navigate, and the big thing here to remember is that everyone is clumsy when it comes to Net Zero. Businesses are trying their best, but when getting deep into the topic of sustainability, it becomes clear how broad it truly is.

Ultimately, people have to be okay with getting things wrong. Some people see setting ambitious targets as dangerous, but if we don’t push for them, change is going to happen at a snails pace.

There is a need for credible, substantiated plans that are in-line with best practice, but we need to be careful to not go too far in that direction to ensure that it helps rather than hinders sustainability efforts. Innovation should be encouraged and not punished if mistakes are made or certain really ambitious targets aren’t met within a certain timeframe.

Mel highlights that Standards such as ISO 14064 are great frameworks to guide businesses in measuring their carbon footprint, with guidance that encourages independent third party verification for further transparency.

[15:40] The Green Claims Directive and Transparency – Charlie highlights that the Green Claims Directive identifies independent third party verification as a mandatory requirement of claims made before they’re disclosed publicly.

As this is also something that The Anti-Greenwash Charter encourages, signatories are already ahead of the curve.

[17:10] What are the biggest challenges that companies are facing in accurately measuring their carbon footprint and how does the Charter help to address these challenges? The main challenge is accurately measuring their carbon footprint, and the charter acts as a signpost with referral partners who can assist with this aspect of their sustainability journey.

Another challenge is communication. So you’ve got your substantiated claims and green credentials, but how do you go about communicating that? That’s one of the crucial elements that The Anti-Greenwash Charter can help with. As mentioned earlier, they can help verify a publicly available green claims policy, which is a huge step towards credible carbon claims.

If you’d like an example of this, you can download Anti-Greenwash Charters’ green claims policy template from their website – which provides a step-by-step guide on producing one of your own.

[20:50] What are the broader benefits for companies that adopt a transparent and credible green claim? Charlie explains that signatories have used their status as a signatory for their Charter on tender frameworks, and won due to that fact.

Another benefit is the Charters’ credibility, which gives external stakeholders confidence that a business is doing what they claim to be doing.

They also offer anti-greenwashing awareness training, which gives those within the business the tools and techniques that can be utilised in any published content to ensure they aren’t making any greenwashing claims.

[22:25] The negative effects of greenwashing on well meaning businesses: Charlie and Mel both highlight the sad reality that many businesses would prefer to simply not make any green initiatives or claims public for fear that if they are not done 100% successfully then there’s a chance for reputational damage.

The need for robust sustainability frameworks that build confidence is clear. Due diligence is important, and so is the need to allow room for mistakes to happen, so long as businesses take the necessary steps to fix them and keep continually improving.

[27:15] What role does Charlie see governments and regulatory bodies playing in combating greenwashing, and what policy changes would he like to see? – The EU Green Claims Directive is currently best in class as it requires businesses to look at the consequences of their impact on the environment, in addition to the requirement for independent verification to back up any claims made.

Other regulations here in the UK, like the Green Claims Code, is weaker in comparison. It was watered down through negotiation into a more voluntary scheme.

For us here in the UK, we really do need to align with Europe, as their regulations are a lot more robust and offer a tangible path towards a united greener future.

There are other benefits, as Mel highlights from her Masters research, there is compelling evidence that a company’s value increases by an average of 10% if their carbon claims are independently verified.

[32:35] What are Charlie’s aspirations for The Anti-Greenwash Charter? And what are his hopes for the future of credible carbon claims? – They’re really keen to become a multinational signatory, which is already showing promise as they’ve had interest from the US and Australia.

Charlie envisions a future where businesses publish a green claims policy regardless of if it’s mandated by legislation. This is so we can build confidence in green claims being made and be assured that people are doing what they say they’re doing.

To help with credibility and transparency, The Anti-Greenwash Charter has been incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation. Charlie wants to reaffirm that they started this to ultimately reduce the impact businesses make on the planet, and they are fully committed to this goal.

If you’d like to learn more about The Anti-Greenwash Charter, visit their website!

If you’d like any assistance with carbon standards, get in touch with Carbonology, they’d be happy to help!

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The uptick in greenwashing cases, and subsequent outing of these claims only serves to make stakeholders and consumers dubious of any businesses sustainability pledges.

One key way to combat this is to have the information to back up your claims, something that is becoming a mandatory requirement for some depending on sector, location or company size.

In this episode, Mel dives into the use of ISO 14064 and how verification to this internationally recognised Standard can help companies build trust and ensure their climate action claims are genuine and impactful.

You’ll learn

What is Greenmasking?
Why there is a need for transparency in green claims
What is Greenhouse Gas Statement Verification?
What is ISO 14064?
How can ISO 14064 Verification combat greenmasking?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:05] Episode Summary – In this episode, Mel delves into the world of ISO 14064 and explores how verification under this international standard can help companies build trust and ensure their climate action claims are genuine.

Catch-up with the previous episodes in the series here:

The Rise of Greenwashing

The 7 Shades of Greenwashing

[03:05] What is greenmasking?: Greenmasking (a term coined by Carbonology®) is used to describe the practice where organisations self-certify their environmental impact without independent verification.

This means they claim their green credentials are accurate while avoiding transparency about their methodology and data. Essentially, they are “marking their own homework,” which can lead to misleading claims about their sustainability efforts.

This could be compared to someone completing their own MOT and signing it off themselves, instead of taking it to a qualified mechanic. Obviously, that MOT certificate wouldn’t be valid in that case, and would have no credibility when it came to selling the car.

[04:45] The need for transparency – For carbon reporting to succeed globally, enforcement will need to be standardised across all nations.

With transparency around ESG initiatives increasingly important, you need to be able to objectively and accurately measure and report on your carbon footprint. Some to keep an eye on include the Green Claims Directive and the Anti-Greenwashing Charter.

Stakeholders are now looking for independent Verification of the accuracy of your emissions data and your calculated carbon footprint through Standards such as ISO 14064-3.

[07:05] What is Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Statement Verification? – GHG Verification is the engagement of an independent third-party by an organisation to provide Verification of their GHG statements using standards such as ISO 14064-3.

Carbon footprint Verification involves, collecting data and reporting on your emissions from your company’s activities, and then independently verifying its accuracy to provide assurance to stakeholders that your claims are transparent and true.

If you’d like to learn more about the differences between the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and ISO 14064, check out a previous episode.

[08:10] What is ISO 14064-1 and ISO 14064-3? – This is the specification for Greenhouse Gas emissions reporting and part 3 is the specification for verifying that, covering more elements than the Greenhouse Gas protocol.

The reporting requires you to collect data from various sources across your scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, collating it into a report and then have that report independently checked against the requirements of ISO 14064.

[09:45] How can Greenhouse Gas Verification combat greenmasking? –

Highlights integrity – Verification against ISO 14064-1 highlights the veracity of your systems and processes to prove your GHG inventory, assertions and reports conform to the ISO 14064 standard; and are free from errors, omissions or misstatements, demonstrating the highest integrity of your GHG reporting.
Validation of Net Zero goals – Verification against ISO 14064-1, establishes the integrity of your claims towards Net Zero.
Verify success – Verification against ISO 14064-1 provides assurance of your carbon footprint declarations which will give confidence in achieving the projected emission reductions
Stakeholder assurance – Stakeholders are increasingly looking for independent Verification of GHG Data to prove reduction are achieved year on year

Download a copy of The 7 Shades of Greenwashing from Carbonology’s website here.

If you would like some assistance with carbon Standards and reporting, simply get in touch with the team over at Carbonology.

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In a world increasingly concerned about environmental impact, companies are under immense pressure to demonstrate their sustainability credentials. But how can businesses truly differentiate themselves from those simply paying lip service to green practices?

Greenwashing is a term that you will likely be familiar with, as it’s one that’s been on the rise as consumer preference steers towards those who are seen to be doing the right thing. Alarmingly, high-severity cases, which involve companies that took a purposeful and systematic approach to concealing ESG violations, rise by more than 32% year on year.

In our upcoming 3-part series we’ll be exploring the impact of greenwashing on business, the different types of greenwashing and the role verification can play in building genuine evidence based sustainability strategies.

In this episode, Mel dives into the first of this 3-part series to explain what greenwashing is, the common tactics used in greenwashing and how businesses can build genuine sustainability.

You’ll learn

Who is greenwashing?
Where did the term originate from?
The rise of greenwashing
What are some of the common greenwashing tactics used?
The danger of greenwashing
How can businesses build genuine sustainability strategies?

Resources

Carbonology

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:05] Episode Summary – We kick off our 3-part greenwashing series with an exploration of what greenwashing really is, the common greenwashing tactics businesses employ and how you can avoid those pitfalls to build genuine sustainability within your business.

[05:25] What is greenwashing?: Greenwashing, in essence, is the deceptive use of environmental claims to mislead consumers into believing a company’s products or services are more environmentally friendly than they actually are.

[05:45] Where did the term ‘greenwashing’ originate from? – The term “greenwashing” was coined in 1986 by Jay Westerveld, an American environmentalist.

Westerveld first used the term in an essay describing his experience at a hotel in Fiji. The hotel encouraged guests to reuse towels to “save the environment,” but Westerveld observed that the hotel was simultaneously expanding its operations, significantly impacting the local environment. This contradiction highlighted the hotel’s primary intent to cut costs rather than genuinely conserve resources.

Westerveld’s observation exemplified how businesses could deceptively use environmental claims to mislead consumers into believing their products or services are more environmentally friendly than they actually are.

[06:35] The rise of greenwashing: Many businesses over a wide range of industries have made a pledge to reduce their carbon impact by 2050, driven by both an increase in regulation and consumer perception.

However, the Economist highlighted some troubling research, citing that while many businesses will puff out their claims of sustainable practices, many don’t have the evidence to back them up. Many should have the resource, say an Asset Manager, that could provide tangible reports on their carbon consumption each year, and yet they choose not to publicly disclose any such reports.

So, a lot of talking the talk, but not walking the walk!

[07:40] The growing need for comprehensive carbon reporting – There are a number of sustainability and ESG regulations now in effect, with more to come in 2025 (such as the Green Claims Directive that is due to come into affect on the 27^th March 2025) that require businesses of different sizes and sectors to report on their carbon consumption and reduction. If you’d like to learn more about a few of these, check out our previous episodes on:

[08:15] What are the common tactics used in greenwashing? These can include:-

Vague and Ambiguous Claims: Phrases like “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” are often used without specific, quantifiable data. However, the EU Green Claims Directive, in theory help address this, although this only applied in Europe.
Focus on Single Issues: Highlighting one minor environmental benefit while ignoring significant negative impacts across the supply chain.
False Labels and Certifications: Creating misleading labels or misrepresenting genuine certifications. There are numerous ‘Green certifications’ out there that charge for a badge, without providing any evidence, of for those that do provide information it could just be a document that isn’t evidence based i.e. a Policy statement or ‘pledge’ or ‘commitment’
“Greenwashing by Association”: Implying a connection to environmental causes through sponsorships or marketing campaigns.

[10:15] The danger of greenwashing – The danger with greenwashing is the negative impact it has through an Erosion of Consumer Trust. People are becoming increasingly skeptical of environmental claims, making it harder for truly sustainable companies to gain credibility.

Greenwashing can also lead to Distorted Market Signals: creating a false impression of progress, hindering genuine innovation and investment in sustainable solutions.

[11:30] How can businesses build genuine sustainability strategies?

Transparency and Accountability:

Disclose environmental data openly and transparently.
Seek independent third-party verification of sustainability claims.

Focus on Life-Cycle Assessment:
- Evaluate environmental impacts across the entire product or service lifecycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal.

Continuous Improvement:
- Set ambitious, measurable, and time-bound environmental targets.
- Regularly review and refine sustainability strategies based on performance data.

Engage with Stakeholders:
- Collaborate with suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders to identify and address environmental challenges.

If you would like some assistance with carbon Standards and reporting, simply get in touch with the team over at Carbonology.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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Business travel remains one of our largest sources of greenhouse emissions, accounting for 26% of the UK’s total emissions.

In an ideal world, no one would have to travel to work or events, some might even point to the way everyone adapted in COVID as a prime example of this in practice. However, for many that model of work is not feasible in the long-term.

So, how can we reduce this unavoidable stream of emissions?

Businesses are starting to take the right steps, however, today’s guest is paving the way as a shining example of sustainable business travel and events management.

In this episode, Mel is joined by Christopher Truss, Global Sustainability Director at Reed & Mackay, to discuss their impressive existing ISO Standard portfolio and their journey towards ISO 14064 carbon verification.

You’ll learn

Who is Chris Truss?
Who are Reed & Mackay?
What are the highlights from Reed & Mackay’s latest Sustainability and Responsible Business report?
What Standards are Reed & Mackay certified to?
What is the demand for sustainability within the business travel and events management sector?
Why get ISO 14064 verified?
What were the challenges with obtaining ISO 14064 verification?
What are the benefits of obtaining ISO 14064 Verification?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:05] Episode Summary – We welcome today’s guest, Chris Truss, Global Sustainability Director at Reed & Mackay, to explore their ISO Standards portfolio and journey towards ISO 14064 verification.

[02:40] Who is Chris?: Chris has had over 20 years experience in the business travel industry. He is currently responsible for driving the sustainability agenda at Reed & Mackay, which includes the development of services and solutions that their clients require to meet their own sustainability initiatives.

He also manages a wide range of third-party suppliers.

A lesser know fact about Chris is in a band, playing the folk fiddle and singing in pubs around Yorkshire. He also plays tennis in the over 45 category for Yorkshire!

[04:50] Who are Reed & Mackay? – Reed & Mackay are a global travel management and event management business. They help clients all the way from picking up the telephone and making bookings on their behalf, helping them source appropriate venues for their events and then managing the overall spend, the supply chain and ultimately reporting back to them on what they’ve been up to and how they can improve their processes and save money.

Reed & Mackay are highly regarded for their quality of services, especially within the professional services sector, and they proudly boast a number of large blue chip clients.

[05:50] What are some of the highlights in Reed & Mackay’s Sustainability and Responsible Business Report? When Chris came into his latest role, he looked to tackle two main points:

How can Reed & Mackay operate sustainably?
How can we articulate that to our clients?

As a result of the work Chris has done, Reed & Mackay have signed up to the United Nations Global Compact and have aligned themselves with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

They have also become an EcoVadis rated supplier and are undertaking their first Carbon Reduction Plan disclosure.

From a corporate responsibility point of view, they have made great strides to improve their gender pay gap. They are also ensuring the integrity of their charitable partnerships.

[08:00] What are some of the sustainability initiatives that Reed & Mackay have started? Reed & Mackay support a charity called 4Ocean, who are trying to remove as much plastic from our oceans as possible.

They selected this charity in particular due to it’s global reach, embodying the nature of Reed & Mackay’s global influence in 13 countries for the past 10 years. They recognised the need to support a sustainability based charity as corporate travel is highly polluting, so this is a form of taking responsibility and looking at where they can assist to reduce environmental damage.

4Oceans also allows their employees to get involved directly, should they choose to take some time out of the office to help with ocean clean-up.

[09:55] What ISO Standards are Reed & Mackay certified to? They are currently certified to:

All of which they have been certified to for over 10 years now! They acted as a foundation for Chris to drive his sustainability agenda.

[11:10] How are these ISO Standards managed across the business? – Reed & Mackay have a dedicated Security and Trust team that manage all ISO certifications, in addition to their other responsibilities.

All of the ISO Standards are a part of their Integrated Management System, which sits alongside their policies and procedures for the business that are managed by a central team.

This has provided them with an invaluable foundation to ensure the delivery of quality services, client satisfaction and continual improvement.

[12:45] What is the demand for sustainability within the business travel sector? They are receiving more requirements and requests from clients in regard to their own operational CO2 footprint, which is needed for clients own reporting requirements as Reed & Mackay would count towards many clients Scope 3 emissions.

There is also a need for more transparency with carbon reporting, including the use of credible calculation methodology’s.

The verification of GHG emissions also gives clients more confidence that businesses are doing what they say they’re doing.

[14:15] What was the main driver behind Reed & Mackay gaining ISO 14064 verification?: While they felt confident in their sustainability efforts up to a certain point, they wanted someone to come in and mark their homework to make sure they were doing the right thing.

With the increase in client demand for credible sustainability reporting, it was vital to pursue various CPD disclosures such as EcoVadis and prepare for upcoming legislation like CSRD.

To ensure they were in the best possible shape to give the information requested by clients and other stakeholders, they needed am accurate and reliable method of verification, which is what ISO 14064 could provide.

[15:40] What were the main challenges in obtaining ISO 14064 verification?: Just getting a hold of the raw data was the most difficult part, although they found it to be a very enlightening experience too.

Having to dig to find the right information helped Chris to understand the business better, giving him a greater visibility on where their carbon emissions are coming from and where there are opportunities to reduce those.

You have to be very tenacious to get all the necessary data. Chris highlights purchased goods and services data as particularly challenging to obtain due to its granular nature.

Now they have been through this process once, they’ve got a system in place to make data collection a lot easier in future.

[18:55] What impact has ISO 14064 verification had on Reed & Mackay?: It’s helped from an internal perspective as people now have a greater visibility and understanding of the impact that have on an individual basis. This in turn creates a strong launchpad for their Net Zero strategy.

From an external perspective, it’s given Reed & Mackay a lot more confidence in their own processes and their ability to work with their clients towards sustainability goals.

[20:00] What were the main benefits of getting ISO 14064 verified?:

Giving clients, stakeholder and employees confidence: The verification calculation is reliable, and so they can be confident in relaying the facts and figures to interested parties.

A great insight: The data has provided huge insights into how the business operates and where it’s biggest emissions sources lie. This is vital to know before you take steps to try and reduce your current impact.

Ability to create an accurate Carbon Reduction Plan: Once again, with confidence in having the correct data to hand, they are able to formulate an accurate Carbon Reduction Plan which can be realistically achieved.

Anti Green-washing: Consumers are crying out for a reliable sign of credibility. Simply having an environmental policy statement may have been enough 10 years ago, but that’s not the case now. People expect evidence of your sustainability claims.

[21:50] Chris’s top tip for anyone considering ISO 14064 verification: Just get started and don’t be scared by the process.

Though it may seem daunting to start, you will actually be in a much better position than when you started. Having verified data and awareness of where that data comes from and what it means on a larger scale will be vital to looking for opportunities for improvement.

So, if you want to improve your sustainability, you just need to get cracking!

[23:20] How are Reed & Mackay helping organisations improve the sustainability of their travel?: Reed & Mackay’s ambition is to make sure that clients understand the impact of their choices at every single step of their journey.

To help, they provide the carbon footprint of every booking they make, whether that be through their site or with a consultant.

They also have approval processes built into their systems, which can be based on carbon. For example, if a client doesn’t want to take the lowest carbon option on a particular journey, they can add required approval from an additional person within that client’s organisation. So it adds a level of accountability over the choices people make.

They also provide full reporting on business travel activity and where potential savings have been missed. This is a valuable tool if they need to provide travel data to carbon consultants for example, they’ll already have all of those granular reports prepared.

These reports will highlight where clients haven’t taken the lowest carbon option, i.e. where they could travel in a group instead of individually. Reed & Mackay’s intention is to make sure people have visibility of carbon alongside cost so clients can make a fair and balanced decision.

Additional services include:

Able to set carbon budgets across a business
Ability to purchase carbon credits for offsetting purposes
Opportunities to mitigate carbon emissions through offsetting, or decarbonise through Carbon Reduction Plans over a period of time

[28:50] Chris’s book recommendation: His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

[29:15] Chris’s favourite quote: You can’t measure success if you have never failed – Steffi Graf

If you would like to learn more about Reed & Mackay, and their sustainability initiatives, visit their website.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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Sustainability is an area that affects all businesses, no matter the sector. We are all currently contributing to the climate crisis, from travel and hospitality to manufacturing to those working in an office or from home.

You may be surprised to hear that the legal sector is currently one of the leaders in championing sustainability, not just in enforcing new environmental legislation, but also leading by example in the race to net zero.

One such stand out leader is today’s guest – Clyde & Co, a global law firm that have made great strides in their sustainability journey.

In this episode, Mel is joined by Paddy Linighan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Clyde & Co, to discuss their ambitious net zero targets, sustainability initiatives and their journey towards ISO 14064 Carbon Verification.

You’ll learn

What is Paddy Linighan’s role as CSO?
Who are Clyde & Co?
What are their net zero targets according to their responsible Business report?
What sustainability initiatives have Clyde & Co introduced?
Why get ISO 14064 verified?
What were the challenges with obtaining ISO 14064 verification?
What are the benefits of obtaining ISO 14064 Verification?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:25] Episode Summary – We welcome today’s guest, Paddy Linighan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Clyde & Co, to dive into their responsible business report, discuss their net zero ambitions and journey towards ISO 14064 Carbon Verification.

[01:40] Introduction to Paddy: Paddy has 30 years experience in the legal sector, and was formerly the Chief Operating Officer for Clyde & Co before transitioning to the role of Chief Sustainability Officer. Paddy is also a Director at the Legal Sustainability Alliance, which is an association committed to supporting the legal sector to measure and manage their carbon emissions to achieve net zero.

One lesser-known fact is that Paddy was a Latin and ballroom dancer!

[02:30] Who are Clyde & Co? – They are a global law firm with 500 partners, 2700 lawyers and 3216 legal professionals across the world and operating out of 70 offices. They set out to help organisations successfully navigate risk and maximise the opportunity in the sectors that underpin global trade, namely insurance, aviation, marine construction, energy, trade and natural resources.

They offer a comprehensive range of contentious and non-contentious legal services and commercially minded legal advice to businesses operating across the world in seamless fashion.

Clyde & Co are committed to operating in a responsible way by progressing a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and the clients it serves, and provides an environment in which hopefully everyone can realise their potential. They use their legal and professional skills to support communities through pro bono work, volunteering charitable partnerships, and minimisation of environmental impact through the pursuit of sustainability standards.

[04:25] What are some of the Net Zero targets highlighted in Clyde & Co’s responsible business report?

Near term target: Reduce their scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 80% by 2030 and scope 3 emissions by 50% by 2030.
Long term target: Have a 90% reduction in emissions by 2038
Focused on decarbonizing their operations across the globe.

[06:25] What are some of the sustainability initiatives that Clyde & Co have started? All their initiatives can be broadly groups into 3 categories, but ultimately they seek to decarbonize their operations, address resource consumption and offset emissions where possible.

They found that 95% of their emissions reside in their scope 3, which is due to their supply chain. A few of their initiatives include rationalizing their supply chain to reduce the impact of purchasing goods and services.

They are also supporting their supply chain to measure and reduce their own emissions. Clyde & Co have also incorporated their sustainability requirements into their Procurement Process and Due Diligence Process.

One challenging area for a professional services business like Clydo & Co is sustainable business travel. They have adopted a global note on sustainable travel, which trickles down into regional travel policies. Working with travel management companies, they will implement those new policies, in addition to improving the quality of travel data collection and prioritisation of sustainability over cost.

Clyde & Co are also making the move to switch direct and in-direct consumption of fossil fuels to renewable energy in the heating and cooling of their buildings.

As of summer 2023, all UK offices were on 100% renewable energy! They aim to roll this out on a global scale, but understand that there are significant challenges with doing so.

[09:30] How did Clyde & Co celebrate Earth Day? They introduced climate change awareness training on Earth Day. It wasn’t mandatory in any way, and included the rolling out of several blogs and videos which were produced by AXA Climate School in Paris.

They ran these through Earth Day (April 22^nd) to World Environment Day (5^th June). Covering topics such as:

Financial disclosures
Plastic pollution
Saving water
Beekeeping
Composting

This led to a campaign called ‘Zero as One’ which helped to create of a network of sustainable champions across their organisation, who help to further raise awareness and where there may be regional issues with reducing resource consumption and energy use.

This campaign has continued and is beginning to facilitate a structured, bespoke training programme for all Clyde & Co staff which covers climate awareness to climate competency. It will encourage people to think ‘How can I, as an individual, make a difference?’

[15:30] The Clyde & Co Community Forest – A 6.2 hectare plot of land is shared with 2 other community groups, and is not only being used for reforestation but also biodiversity, focusing on red squirrels in particular.

Getting this project set up included:

Gauging the appetite of colleagues: They offered increased level of refforestation for every response they had to their annual ‘Have your Say’ survey. For every response received, they would add 2 square metres of forest. So, 5000 people would give them a hectare.
It was a knowledge gathering exercise and experience of what a carbon offset project would look like.

They know that they’ll never be able to 100% decarbonise their operations, but they hope to get it down to 10% remaining emissions which can be offset with more projects like the community forest.

[19:35] What does Paddy think of the sustainability reporting regulatory requirements affecting the legal sector? Not only do lawyers have a key part to play in supporting and advising clients in relation to how they navigate towards a low carbon economy, but they are also a part of many businesses supply chain – meaning they would be included in scope 3 emissions for others.

Putting in the work at their end enables them to proactively help and assist clients with their emissions reduction and reporting.

The drive in this sector is mostly due to client demand.

[21:10] The increase in sustainability targets in North American companies: Paddy highlights that a recent report issued by Climate Impact Partners found that 79% of North American companies now have climate targets, which is up 6% on Asian companies and just shy of European companies.

61% of those North American companies report under ISO 14064.

[23:00] What were the drivers behind Clyde & Co getting ISO 14064 verified?:

High Transparency: They wanted to ensure that any disclosed information was reliable and that they’d had third-party verification to back that up, making them much more comfortable putting that information out into the public.

Financial Benefits: Sustainability and greenhouse gas emission reduction was a part of their main KPI’s to tackle, the main reason being to save money through not only the reduction in energy use but also reduced interest rates as a result of their sustainability efforts.

[25:20] What were the main challenges in obtaining ISO 14064 verification?: Clyde & Co are a large organisation, so gathering and quantifying the necessary emissions information was like getting blood from a stone!

Nearly 65 – 70 sites only have a small team of 5 people, and getting data from each can be time consuming.

Also, the quality of data can vary a great degree with that many sites, especially on a global scale as you need to consider the conversion factors when collating all the data into something verifiable.

[26:50] What impact has ISO 14064 verification had on Clyde & Co’s sustainability credentials?: Very simply, it validates Clyde & Co’s claims.

With the third-party assessment, it shows that they are actually doing what they say they’re doing, and not simply paying lip service.

[27:45] What were the main benefits of getting ISO 14064 verified?:

Helping to secure financial benefits: ISO 14064 verification is proof enough for banks to issue discounts on interest rates

Ease of process: The audit process introduced for ISO 14064 can be repeated as needed. As a result of getting verified, Clyde & Co found the exercise a good stress test for existing auditing procedures, and found a way to simplify them further.

Credibility: Third-party verification adds a level of credibility which is lacking from internal calculation alone.

[29:00] Paddy’s top tip for anyone considering ISO 14064 verification: Do not let perfection get in the way of progress.

They found that people can become a bit defensive in audits, trying to avoid errors being picked up, however, audits are meant to be constructive. They are opportunities to pick up on areas for improvement.

[30:40] Paddy’s book recommendation: The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

[32:10] Paddy’s favourite quote: The greatest threat to our planet, is the belief that someone else will save it – Robert Swan OBE

If you would like to learn more about Clyde & Co, and their sustainability initiatives, visit their website.

To find out more about verification visit www.carbonologyhub.com

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Businesses are coming under increasing pressure to monitor, report and reduce their energy use and carbon emissions to meet net zero targets.

As a result, we’re seeing an increase in both mandatory and voluntary regulations that require carbon emissions reporting to verify your net zero claims.

In this episode, Mel continues the ESG Reporting Disclosures series by explaining what The International Sustainability Standards Board Climate-related Disclosures (ISSB S2) are, the emissions reporting and verification requirements and who qualifies for ISSB S2.

You’ll learn

What is ISSB S2?
What is the scope of ISSB S2
What are the emissions reporting requirements for ISSB S2?
Emissions verification requirements
Who qualifies for ISSB S2?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[02:10] Episode summary: Over the course of September, Mel will be exploring the latest climate change regulations that may affect your organisation. In this episode she dives into The International Sustainability Standards Board Climate-related Disclosures (ISSB S2).

[03:20] What is ISSB S2? – The International Sustainability Standards Board Climate-related Disclosures (ISSB S2) is a new global standard that mandates entities to provide comprehensive information about climate-related risks and opportunities.

The ISSB S2 was issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board on the 26th of June 2023 and is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after the 1st January 2024. The new standard ensures that companies disclose physical and transition risks and their potential impact on the move towards a low carbon economy.

[04:20] Further learning with Carbonology: Carbonology have created a half-day course which walks you through all of the various carbon reporting disclosures and sustainability disclosure reporting requirements.

If you would like to learn more, get in touch with Carbonology.

[07:00] What does ‘Acute and Chronic Physical risks’ mean in the context of ISSB S2? Climate related physical risks are risks resulting from climate change that could be event driven, so an example of an acute physical risk could arise from weather related events like storms, floods and heatwaves, which are increasing in frequency.

These could have a knock-on effect to businesses, taking a heat wave as the example, you will need to consider:

Can your IT systems and datacentres cope with it?
Have you got resilience built in to your operations to be able to deal with that sort of disruption to your organisation?

Chronic physical risks arise from longer term shifts in climatic patterns, including changes in precipitation and temperature, which could lead to sea level rises and reduced water availability and changes in soil productivity.

These risks could carry a weighty financial burden either through direct damage to assets, or indirectly through supply chain disruption.

[09:35] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo.

[11:43] What does ‘Transition risk’ mean in the context of ISSB S2? This is looking for a climate related transition plan, which should include targets, actions and resources for the transition towards a lower carbon economy.

This would include actions such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

[12:30] What is the scope of ISSB S2? This Standard applies to:

climate-related risks to which the organisation is exposed, which are:
climate-related physical risks; and (ii) climate-related transition risks; and
climate-related opportunities available to the entity.

Climate-related risks and opportunities that could not reasonably be expected to affect an organisation’s prospects are outside the scope of this Standard.

The Standard covers:-
Governance
Strategy
Climate related risks and opportunities
Business Model and Value Chain
Financial position, financial performance and cash flows
Climate resilience
Risk Management

[14:10] What are the emissions reporting requirements for ISSB S2? – Under ISSB S2, companies are required to measure and disclose their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across three scopes:

Scope 1 Emissions: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. For example, emissions from combustion in owned or controlled boilers, furnaces, vehicles, etc.
Scope 2 Emissions: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy. This includes emissions from the production of electricity, steam, heating, and cooling consumed by the company.

Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions: Indirect greenhouse gas emissions (not included in Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions) that occur in the value chain of an entity, including both upstream and downstream emissions. Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions include the Scope 3 categories in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard (2011).

[16:20] Emissions verification requirements – Under ISSB S2, companies are required to have their reported greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data verified.

Verification can provide users of financial reports confidence that the information is complete, neutral and accurate.

Disclosure of inputs to Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions needs to disclose information about the measurement approach, inputs and assumptions it uses.

[18:30] Who qualifies for ISSB S2? – ISSB S2 applies to all entities that are required by law, regulation, or administrative provision to prepare financial statements. This includes, but is not limited to:

Publicly listed companies
Large private companies
Financial institutions such as banks and insurance companies
State-owned enterprises

Entities are encouraged to adopt the ISSB S2 voluntarily, even if they are not mandated by law or regulation. Early adoption is permitted and encouraged to enhance transparency and accountability in climate-related disclosures.

If you would like some help with your carbon emissions reporting, please get in touch with Carbonology.

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As the urgency to address the climate emergency heightens, businesses are coming under increasing pressure to monitor, report and reduce their energy use and carbon emissions to meet net zero targets.

As a result, there is an increase in regulations to ensure that companies are taking the climate emergency seriously and not pay lip service to climate action.

During September, we’ll be taking a look at a few of the latest regulations that may affect your organisation, including:

In this episode, Mel Blackmore breaks down what Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) is, its reporting requirements, it’s qualifiers and how it can work in tandem with other carbon management initiatives.

You’ll learn

How do these regulations relate to ESG reporting?
What is Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting?
What are the SECR Emissions Reporting Requirements?
Who qualifies for SECR?
How can SECR work with other carbon management initiatives?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[03:20] How do these regulations relate to ESG reporting? – ESG requirements include a commitment to sustainability, and reducing your overall impact. All of these regulations contribute towards an organisations ESG reporting requirements, as they require tangible proof to back up your ESG claims.

They will require you to provide comprehensive emissions reporting, the level of detail of which will depend on the specific applicable regulation.

[04:05] Future content to look forward to: During September Mel will look at involuntary emissions reporting schemes, but in October she will be looking into the voluntary schemes that many are already adopting as part of their Stakeholder requirements.

This will include:

[05:50] What are the SECR Emissions Reporting Requirements?: SECR has been around since April 2019, and was originally introduced to replace the Carbon Reduction Commitment Scheme.

This is a mandatory scheme, so it is a legal requirement for those that meet it’s criteria. For those that are familiar with ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme), it functions in a very similar way.

This scheme isn’t solely focused on reporting energy usage and carbon emissions, it’s also looking for organisations to report on efficiency measures that are undertaken on an annual basis. Which is reflected in the financial reporting that you will also have to submit.

It’s important to note that SECR has specific requirements for the disclosure of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption. Emission reporting requirements vary slightly between quoted companies and large unquoted companies and LLPs.

For quoted Companies:

Global Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions must be reported. Scope 3 emissions reporting is strongly recommended but voluntary.

For large unquoted companies and LLPs:

UK based Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and associated energy consumption. Scope 3 emissions from the combustion of fuel in vehicles or equipment not owned by the company.

[10:10] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo.

[12:05] Who qualifies for SECR?: All UK Quoted Companies: Any company that has shares listed on the UK Stock Exchange is required to comply with SECR.

Large Unquoted Companies and Large LLPs: These are companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) that are not listed on the UK Stock Exchange but meet two or more of the following criteria:

Turnover: More than £36 million per annum.
Balance Sheet Total: More than £18 million.
Number of Employees: 250 or more employees.

These criteria ensure that SECR framework targets large organisations that have a significant impact on the UK’s energy consumption and carbon emissions. By complying with SECR, these organisations can contribute significantly to the UK’s sustainability goals.

[14:10] When is the SECR disclosure made? SECR reporting must occur alongside financial reporting, being included within annual reports and Directors’ Reports, which are then filed with Companies House.

[14:30] The importance of Accurate SECR Reporting and Carbon Reduction – The reporting process can unlock valuable insights and opportunities for operational improvements, leading to enhanced energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions over time.

Demonstrating your organisation’s commitment to energy efficiency and carbon reduction can enhance brand perception and foster positive relationships with stakeholders, including investors, clients, and regulators.

[16:05] Integrating SECR Reporting with Other Carbon Management Initiatives – You are missing a trick if you’re keeping your SECR reporting separate from the rest of your business activities. It should be included as a part of your sustainability umbrella, and can be invaluable if you’re going for other reporting requirements such as EcoVardis and CSRD.

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel if you already have something like an Environmental Management System in place, simply weave the additional requirements in with your usual annual maintenance. Established systems will already be adhered to across the business, meaning any new requirements will soon become business as usual.

You could incorporate this as part of your Net Zero strategy, or Carbon Reduction Plan if PPN 06/21 is one of your reporting requirements. You could also incorporate this into your supply chain emissions reporting.

If you would like some help with SECR, please get in touch with Carbonology.

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There is a growing pressure on businesses to address their environmental impact, both from the Government as well as a more sustainably minded consumer base.

As a result, the need to carry out Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reporting is being introduced as a mandatory requirement for tenders, and Government led initiatives such as Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR).

Today Mel Blackmore will discuss Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reporting, and how verifying GHG Statements in alignment with ISO 14064-1 can benefit your business.

You’ll learn

Why is there a growing need to report on GHG emissions?
What is the difference between certification and verification?
What is ISO 14064-1?
What are the benefits of ISO 14064-1?

Resources

Carbonologyhub

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[02:05] Episode summary: Mel will be discussing GHG emissions reporting, and why verifying your businesses GHG Statements in alignment with ISO 14064-1 is a smart move.

[02:30] What’s the difference between Certification and Verification? – We covered this in detail on a previous episode, go back and listen to episode 162

[02:40] Why is there a growing need to address GHG emissions? – Climate change is a top concern for many. Consumers, investors and governments across the globe are all demanding greater transparency and accountability from businesses regarding their environmental impact. In particular, the carbon footprint a business claims to have.

[03:25] What is ISO 14064-1? – ISO 14064-1 is in internationally recognised Standard for quantification of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and removals at the organisational level.

In simple terms, this is the go-to Standard for businesses looking to calculate, verify and publish its carbon emissions.

[03:40] Benefit #1: Making compliance and reporting easier – Now, it’s important to note that the first time you go through this process will be like pulling teeth. You will need to do a fair bit of work initially, but once that’s set-up, it will make the necessary annual reporting a much easier process.

ISO 14064-1 verification ensures you are complying with applicable regulations such as SECR and the Governments requirement for a PPN 06/21 (within the UK).

If you are based in the UK, there is now Public Sector tendering requirement to identify what your carbon footprint is and make recommendations for reductions in the form of a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP).

It can also help to streamline initiatives like the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) or EcoVardis.

[05:40] Benefit #2: Taking a deeper look at your emissions footprint – Verification is not simply just ticking a box, it’s about providing a clear picture of your organisations’ total GHG emissions.

Not just your CO2 emissions, ISO 14064-1 ensure you account for different types of emissions sources. This granular understanding will be crucial in identifying areas for improvement and developing an effective reduction strategy.

[06:25] Benefit #3: Providing Trust and Transparency – Having your report verified by am independent third-party adds a layer of credibility to your GHG reporting.

Anyone can just say their carbon emissions are X, but it’s another to have that backed up by a third-party. They can ensure your claims are true, correct and that there is a credible methodology behind it.

Stakeholders such as investors, consumers and regulators will then have the confidence that your emissions data is accurate and transparent.

Carbonology can assist you with the training resources needed to do this – so check out their website to learn more.

[07:30] Benefit #4: Pave a way for Carbon Reduction Strategies – We mentioned earlier about the requirement for a PPN 06/21, this requires a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP).

Whether you create one based on a mandatory requirement or not, having a CRP is a no brainer for any business.

It helps you to understand your emissions, which is the first step towards reducing them. ISO 14064-1 verification lays the ground work for developing and implementing an effective CRP.

This can translate into significant cost savings and a competitive edge in the long run.

[08:30] Benefit #5: Embrace Mitigation – The verification goes beyond just cutting emissions. It supports mitigation actions like carbon removal projects, allowing you to demonstrate a holistic approach to tackling climate change year on year.

[08:50] Benefit #6: It’s a global Standard – ISO 14064-1 was created by over 140 representatives from over 50 countries globally to define exactly what greenhouse gas emission verification should look like.

While there are lots of other ways to achieve Net Zero, it makes more sense to choose an established route that will be recognised as best practice globally.

[10:25] Benefit #7: Tracking your progress – Verifying your GHG statements allows you to track progress over time.

This data is invaluable for communicating your achievements both internally and externally to key stakeholders about your drive towards net zero goals. It also helps to showcase your commitment to sustainability.

[11:00] Benefit #8: Participation in sustainability initiatives – Verification opens doors to participating in voluntary GHG registries and sustainability reporting initiatives.

This in turn will help to broaden your visibility as an organisation, amongst the environmentally conscious stakeholders that will be looking for credible sustainable businesses to work with or buy from.

[11:45] ISO 14064 is a no-brainer – It offers a significant strategic advantage and can help to demonstrate transparency with GHG reporting – something very sought after in the midst of a lot of green washing claims.

If you’d like assistance with ISO 14064-1, visit Carbonology’s website and get in contact, they’d be happy to help.

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To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C, as called for in the Paris Agreement – emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

Many businesses are already making great strides to reduce their Impact, and while you can reduce, achieving true carbon neutrality will involve offsetting a certain amount of emissions.

Treeconomy are one of the few companies in the UK that offer credible carbon credits. Backed by principles of PAS 2060 (Carbon Neutrality), they seek to break the greenwashing cycle.

Mel is joined by Harry Grocott, CEO and Co-founder of Treeconomy, to discuss their credible carbon offsetting schemes and the innovative technology they use to help quantify the value of nature.

You’ll learn

Who are Treeconomy?
What is the difference between services offered for landowners and Offset buyers?
Can you quantify the value of nature?
How can people be sure that they don’t fall prey to Greenwashing?
How can someone go about buying and monitoring offsetting credits?
Are Treeconomy’s carbon offsetting schemes verified?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Catch up our episodes covering the Sustainable Development Goals (Part 1 / Part 2), ISO 14064 and PAS 2060.

[01:00] Treeconomy are a company that offer credible carbon offsetting schemes – they are one of the few companies who are recognised by PAS 2060 (the Standard for Carbon Neutrality)

[02:05] Harry Grocott (CEO) introduces Treeconomy – A nature based, carbon removal and restoration company that operate in the UK and Internationally. They offer schemes that work towards afforestation, peatland restoration, rewilding ect. They are also keen to enable evidencing the impact, developing a software platform, remote sensing, and AI technology to do so.

[03:41] They are part of the Centre for climate change innovation which is an initiative of Imperial College London and the Royal Institution to catalyse innovation of all forms that address the causes and effects of climate change.

[04:22] What is the difference in services for Landowners and Offset Buyers? For landowners, Treeconomy can help you change land use from one to another. I.e changing land used for sheep grazing into something more carbon intensive. Treeconomy will ensure that any project started with them is a verified Carbon Scheme – in-line with the woodland carbon code. Once your project set up has been completed and verified, Treeconomy will assist in the sale of credible carbon credits.

[07:22] For offset buyers: Treeconomy offer a wide range of projects and varyingly priced carbon credits.

[07:45] Can we quantify the value of nature? Short answer right now is no, but there is a lot of nuance. Nature offers ecosystem services i.e. farms offer a calorific benefit, we can put a price on the value that offers. The same principle applies to resources such as wood or oil. Now we are gaining the ability to quantify CO2 removal, which is undeniably valuable to humanity.

[09:18] Other more recent services such as biodiversity projects are a bit harder to quantify – as they vary so much depending on the country. However, we are starting to assign value to these.

[12:15] How can people be sure that they don’t fall prey to Greenwashing? There are 2 main issues to consider: 1) Are your carbon credits credible? 2) what claims are top management making?

[12:44] Tackling claims made by leadership: ISO standards are starting to solve this issue. There are clear requirements and certifications that need to be in place to back those claims.

[13:00] Tackling carbon credits: The carbon offsetting market is heavily unregulated currently. Essentially it’s a lot of people trading in invisible gas. There are a number of carbon standards (Not quite at the same level as ISO Standards), such as the Woodland Carbon Code and the Peatland Code, and Internationally there are standards such as Verra VSC – unfortunately, a lot of these standards aren’t very robust and aren’t enforced.

[15:30] Many companies will often look to buy the cheapest offsets available, which are likely to be non-credible and will provide no evidence of actual offsetting occurring. But, there are a lot of new companies emerging that provide tangible evidence of offsetting (such as Treeconomy 😊)

[18:30] How can someone go about buying and monitoring offsetting credits? If you don’t want to use a company like Treeconomy, you would need to directly contact and purchase credits from a company who is developing a project.

[19:23] Treeconomy have created a platform called Sherwood – this displays all the projects they are helping to develop, which also tells you who the landowners are and the carbon inventory attached to each project. It can also help you evidence credits purchased, whether they are historic or future carbon removal.

[21:30] Not many companies offer comprehensive reporting and evidencing of carbon credits in practice. Treeconomy use a range of methods such as drones, satellites and AI programs to report back, and aim to make getting this information as easy as possible for credit purchasers.

[23:20] How did Harry get into this business? Starting off studying geography and Science – he later went onto work in finance for 3 years and qualified as a finance adviser. While working he realised that the amount of money available is rarely the issue, rather the use of it. He saw that there was a large gap in funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation – but not enough money was going towards it. He began wondering why more couldn’t be invested and so decided to study climate change management and finance (partly though Covid), where he met his co-founder. After getting some Government grant funding, investors and landowner partners, they have flourished over the last 3 years.

[27:00] Are Treeconomy’s offsetting schemes verified? Yes – they work under the UK woodland carbon code (and soon the peatland carbon code). They are also working to create a new protocol to tackle rewilding, including how the value and progress can be tracked. Internationally they will be working under Verra.

[29:05] Treeconomy can help to provide detailed evidence of carbon offsetting thanks to their reporting capabilities, this can be passed onto 3^rd party auditors to verify in-line with any carbon Standard.

[30:00] You can find Treeconomy via their website, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram 😊

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This episode is the final part of our 7-part mini-series explaining our Carbonology service, a 7 step methodology to help companies become Carbon Neutral.

This time, our resident Carbonologist David Algar is talking through the seventh step of the Carbonology process, ‘Declare’.

David explains the purpose of a formal declaration, different ways companies can make their declaration, and the different ways you can promote your achievement of carbon neutrality.

You’ll learn

The purpose of a formal declaration.
The key outcomes of the ‘Declare’ step.
The different ways you can make a declaration.
The pros and cons of doing your declaration internally.
How long your declaration is valid for.
Ways to promote achieving carbon neutrality.

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[01:56] A recap of the 7 steps to carbonology.

[04:02] The purpose of having a formal declaration.

[04:57] What the formal declaration involves.

[06:55] Different ways to make a declaration and which one’s most popular.

[08:31] How long your declaration is valid for.

[09:20] The importance of having an unambiguous declaration.

[10:07] The key outcomes and deliverables of the ‘Declare’ step.

[10:43] How publicised your Qualifying Explanatory Statement should be.

[11:27] Ways to promote achieving carbon neutrality.

[13:42] What companies tend to do after achieving carbon neutrality.

[14:23] Why it’s easier making a declaration in the second year.

[15:15] How to find out more information about the 7 step methodology.

[16:02] The importance of data.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 14064, PAS 2060, or another standard – Contact the Carbonologyhub

Don’t forget to download your free ‘Getting Started with Carbonology’ Checklist here:

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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This episode is the first of our 7-part mini-series explaining our Carbonology service, a 7 step methodology to help companies become Carbon Neutral.

We’re joined by our resident Carbonologist David Algar to talk through the first step of the Carbonology process, Define.

David explains why the define stage is so important, what it entails, and how it works.

You’ll learn

The seven steps in Carbonology.
The importance of defining your carbon output.
How to get a better understanding of your emissions.
The recommended approach to define the subject and boundaries.
How to write the introduction for your QES.
How to become carbon neutral.

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:38] What the seven steps of Carbonology are.

[03:08] The first step to becoming carbon neutral.

[03:52] How the define stage in Carbonology works.

[04:42] What Carbonology boundaries in an organisation may look like.

[06:20] The importance of identifying the people involved with Carbonology work.

[07:00] The type of people that are normally involved with managing the Carbonology standards in a business.

[08:25] How organisations can determine the selection of the subject.

[09:49] Why it’s important to clearly define the subject and your boundaries.

[10:33] The recommended approach to define the subject and boundaries.

[12:17] The outcomes and deliverables that are provided through the define stage.

[13:35] Who the Qualifying Explanatory Statement has to be shared with.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 14064, PAS 2060, or another standard – Contact us!

David Algar is also available for a free Carbonology consultation until the end of March – Book your slot Here

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Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
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One of the first steps towards becoming more sustainable is knowing where you currently stand in terms of your emissions. Calculating this may seem like a mammoth task, especially if you have multiple sites or assets such as company vehicles to keep track of.

David Algar joins Mel today to discuss how to calculate your Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, starting from Establishing boundaries through to number crunching and quantification.

What is the first step when embarking on quantifying your GHG emissions?

One of the first steps is getting leadership commitment – This allows for quicker decision making and the allocation of roles and responsibilities, which really helps with the data collection
Once you have this leadership commitment, the next steps is to start establishing boundaries.

So how do you define your boundaries?

There are 2 ways you define your boundaries as specified in ISO 14064-1:
The first are your organisational boundaries, you’ll need to outline which facilities are included within the quantification. It is not as simple as just saying ‘everything’, you’ll need to specify which sites, buildings, factories etc
You can define your organisational boundaries via the control approach, so what facilities do you have financial or operation control over? Or the equity share approach, where you account for your portion of emissions and removals from facilities
The next step is defining your reporting boundaries. This refers to activities and specific sources of GHGs.
Emission sources are split up into 3 categories; Scope 1 – direct emissions from combustion, or leaks, normally at sources you own , Scope 2 – indirect emissions from imported energy, and Scope 3 – all other indirect emissions, these will be from sources you don’t necessarily own or have much control over such as staff commuting, supply chains or emissions from the use of products you manufacture
Depending on your organisation, Scope 3 will account for somewhere between 60-80% of your total emissions.

How would you recommend going about collecting to data?

ISO 14064-1 wants you to have primary data, i.e. data you have collected yourself.
Some of the most common sources of the information you’ll need to quantify your emissions include, utilities bills, expense claim, meter readings.
What some organisations are doing is sending out simple surveys to staff to gather information on commuting habits or the mix of home and office working.
In the real world all the information you need isn’t going to be available, or at least it won’t be available in the way you would like.
it’s important to have someone dedicated managing data collection as this may involve multiple sites or international locations.
Ideally, you’d start setting a framework to use when going forward and to make sure you can collect the relevant data each year.

Selecting a base year

If this is the first time you have quantified your emissions, it will automatically become your base year.
This will be the year you compare future emissions against, and track reductions against, whether they are absolute, or intensity based, such as tonnes of CO2e per employee or product sold
You may have to re-visit your base year calculations if new data or more accurate methods arise. A base year review may also be required if there has been a change in organisational boundaries due to a merger or acquisition.

The Number Crunching

At the end of the process, we want to see our levels of emissions for each of the Kyoto gases, this will allow us to see emissions as tonnes of CO2 equivalent when each gases’ global warming potential has been taken into account.
Some gases can have global warming potentials 200 times or 1,000 times or even over 20,000 times stronger than CO2 on its own, hence why even the smallest leak of can be important, say, from an air conditioning system.
We calculate emission from specific sources by using conversion factors.
In the UK we are very lucky to have emission conversion factors published publicly by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy every year going back to 2002
Other countries release conversion factors too, so if you have sites round the world, you should be able to find factors that can be applied. This may involve converting some units though.
The data isn’t always going to be available in the ideal format, so you’ll need to spend a bit of time on Google identifying rates for specific areas and years if you don’t have anything else to go on.
Liaising with landlords and facilities management is always a good idea, not only to collect data, but to help with implementing initiatives that can reduce emissions in the future

Estimates, Assumptions, Uncertainties and Transparency

You’re going to have to make some assumptions as you go.
In line with ISO 14064-1 you’ll need to be as accurate as possible even if this means someone going through individual lines of expenses to estimate flight distances based on ticket costs or coming up with a system to represent your supply chain.
Another important aspect of ISO 14064-1 is transparency. The best way to manage this is to simply make all your calculations visible, this way they can be reviewed and sense-checked but others.
For each emission source you’ll also need to assign it a level of uncertainty. For instance, expense claims are usually highly accurate as they show mileage from one location to another, and sometimes even record the specific vehicle, you could say this has an uncertainty of 2-5% for instance.
At the other end of the scale calculating the emission from the life cycle of your products has a high degree of uncertainty as you don’t know how a customer will use it, how long it will last, how it will be disposed of or if it will even be used at all. This could have an uncertainty of 30-40% for instance
A positive outcome of managing all these uncertainties is that you will have a framework going forward for calculating specific sources.

Managing your Emissions Going Forward – Applications of Quantification

Ironically it is often the biggest emission sources that businesses have the smallest amount of control over, but there will usually be some action that can be taken to reduce them.
Quantifying emissions is also one the first, and arguably the most essential steps towards achieving carbon neutrality, as you can’t get very far without knowing your emissions.
PAS 2060 is the standard we use at Blackmores as part of our Carbonology service to help businesses achieve carbon neutrality, this is supported by quantifying emissions in line with the ISO 14064 methodologies we’ve mentioned In previous podcasts.
Developing and implementing a carbon reduction plan to reduce emissions over subsequent reporting periods is another application of your GHG quantification and is an important part of working towards carbon neutrality.

Further resources:

Free Webinar – Targeting Carbon and Supporting Net Zero – hosted by Alcumus, David Algar will feature as a guest to help you understand your Carbon Footprint and provide a roadmap towards Carbon Neutrality. Register Here.

We also have more information about our Carbonology service available Here.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help, and we read each one.

Today we’re joined by Will Richardson, Founder and Managing Director of Green Element, to discuss how he helps other organizations become more environmentally friendly.

Will established Green Element in 2004 with a desire to help as many businesses as possible to go green.

A pioneer and early adopter of many now-mandatory environmental standards, his visionary approach, and inspiring leadership are exemplary.

Will also runs a podcast that is constantly featured in the top of the eco podcasts, and is a current board member and Chairman of the British Kitesports Association; the NGB to Kitesports; helping push kite sports within the Olympic sporting ecosystem.

In 2018, Will conceived Compare Your Footprint in response to demand from companies that want to reduce their carbon footprint but were not ready to engage with experts.

This episode, he shares how companies can most effectively tackle their energy and carbon management, and the science behind carbon reductions…

You’ll learn

How Will helps organizations find the carbon footprint of their products.
The importance of knowing the life cycle of your products.
How to find out how much of an effect on the environment your product has.
How long it takes to find out the life cycle of a product.
How ‘Compare your Footprint’ helps organizations understand their carbon footprint and benchmark it.
Different types of benchmarking you can do and how to do it.
The science we know around carbon reductions.
Why offsetting causes organizations to increase their emissions.

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[01:10] How Will got involved with sustainable energy and carbon management.

[02:14] Why Will started his own business and how it’s changed over the years.

[03:58] How Green Element helps organizations become more environmental.

[05:15] The difference between the life cycle analysis for products or services.

[06:24] How long it takes to work out a product’s life cycle.

[07:30] The two different ways there are to look at carbon footprinting.

[10:51] Different types of benchmarking you can do and how to do it.

[14:26] How to successfully carry out energy data reporting and why you shouldn’t rush it.

[17:59] The problems with net carbon zero and carbon neutral targets, and the benefits of Science Based Targets.

[22:36] The complex nature of effective environmental strategies.

If you need assistance with implementing sustainable practices – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

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Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

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Today, we’re joined by our resident Carbonologist David Algar to discuss SECR.

What is SECR?

SECR stands for Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting, it stemmed from The Companies Act (2006) which was updated in 2013 to require quoted companies to report annual emissions in their directors’ report.

In 2018, the regulations were updated and an additional disclosure requirement for quoted companies was brought in. They now require energy use and associated GHG emissions to be reported by quoted companies, as well as by large, limited liability partnerships (LLPs).

Why was it introduced?

To increase awareness of a business’ energy use and emissions and to encourage the introduction of initiatives to reduce energy usage.

To provide organisations with the relevant data to make informed decisions.

To help increase visibility to key decision makers who may not have been aware of how much carbon their organisation is producing.

Provides transparency on an organisation’s emissions and energy use to external stakeholders.

Is it applicable to you?

SECR reporting is designed to apply to all quoted companies in the UK, as well as unquoted companies and LLPs defined as ‘large’ under the Companies Act 2006.

To be defined as ‘large’ under the Companies Act and therefore qualify for SECR reporting they must meet 2 or more of the following criteria:

Have a turnover of £36m or more.
Have a balance sheet of £18m or more.
Have 250 or more employees.

Who does it not apply to?

Low energy users, those using less than 40MWh per year.

If disclosing energy use data could inadvertently reveal sensitive information about your business, or seriously detrimental to the interests of your business.

Not all public bodies are required to report.

If your data would not be practical to obtain.

What needs to be included?

This is where it gets slightly more complex as this is where reporting guidelines specify what you must report depending on if you are a quoted company compared to a large unquoted or LLP.

Similarities (what everyone needs to report):

Their energy use in kWh and GHG emissions in tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Scope 1 and scope 2 emissions you are responsible for and a subset of scope 3 emissions relating to transport.
Methodologies, at least one intensity ratio and finally, everyone must report on energy efficiency improvements.

Differences:

A key difference between quoted companies and the other two types is that quoted companies must reference their global Scope 1 and 2 emissions they are responsible for, and what proportion of their emissions comes from international sources.
For unquoted companies and LLPs there is more of a focus on Scope 3 emissions. You will need to report on the energy and emissions associated with Scope 3 transport. This mainly refers to leased road vehicles and vehicles staff own but use for business purposes (grey fleet), but also covers larger vehicles such as ships, planes and trains if you have directly paid for the fuel yourself.

What are the benefits for your organisation?

You would have quantified a significant proportion of your emissions, which paints a good picture of where your largest emission sources are from.

You would have just taken one of the first steps towards achieving carbon neutrality.

SECR also helps provide greater transparency for investors and other stakeholders.

It also supports other reporting such as ESOS and the new requirement for businesses looking to obtain large government contracts to have a carbon reduction plan in place.

How can Blackmores help?

By quantifying your emissions for your reporting period, in the long term we can help quantify any remaining emissions that are not referred to in SECR, specifically any remaining Scope 3s

We can also help provide clarity on the definitions of each scope and the subcategories within them.

We have various templates that we have created and refined to help simplify the process.

We can produce the SECR report, meeting all the requirements of UK Environmental Reporting Guidance, and as well as the main SECR report, we can produce the summary of your Director’s Report.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help, and we read each one.

If you’d like further information on how we can help you with Carbon verification, SECR or Carbon Neutrality, check out our Carbonology Service.

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No matter what ISO certification you are hoping to achieve, we have a specialist ISO consultant ready to work with you and your organisation. Contact our team today to get started.

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Whether you choose to work with one of our ISO Consultants, our isologists®, or work your own way through the process on our isology Hub, we’re certain you’ll achieve certification in no time!

We have a proven step by step process that our ISO Consultants implement as soon as our working relationship begins. We use our specialist skills and industry knowledge to determine what is already on track and where improvements can be made. We live and breathe ISO standards, we know the standards inside out so you don’t have to.

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Based on our engagement and experience, I highly recommend the entire Blackmores team. If you’re considering pursuing ISO accreditations, Blackmores should be your first choice.

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The support and advise I get from our assigned auditors is immense. Forward planning for the following year is great and they are flexible and always willing to help.

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Photon Lines Ltd

“Blackmores are the perfect bridge between working on your ISO as an individual or company, to being audited each year. We find that any queries we have are covered and we feel sure that we have everything as needs be before going into an external audit.”

Mandy Welsby

Jaama Ltd

“We have been extremely impressed with the service and support provided by Blackmores. There knowledge and assistance through out our ISO journey has been amazing!”

Philip Hannabuss

Dome Consulting

“Blackmores have really kept us on our toes with the broad scope and level of detail they apply to our internal audit schedule. They always stay abreast of ISO standard changes and help us to adapt our processes and documents to embrace these changes accordingly. Having Blackmores shadow our external audits provides invaluable confidence and peace of mind – would highly recommend their services!”

Phil Geens

Kingsley Napley

“Our ISO 27001 certification project has gone so well, that there was no doubt in who we were going to ask to help us with our aspirations of becoming ISO 14001 certified. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Blackmores, and we are really looking forward to working with them for the foreseeable future.”

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Welcome to the ISO Show podcast, dispelling myths and sharing tips for success to improve your business with ISO Standards. Join us to hear interviews with successful business leaders as they share their ISO journey with you.

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215 The Latest Trends On the Buy Side of the Voluntary Carbon Market

214 An introduction to the voluntary carbon market

213 Driving ISO implementation - meet the consultant Sarah Ball

212 Driving ISO Implementation - Meet the consultant Darren Morrow

Ready to go carbon neutral... And achieve ISO Standards?

Welcome to Carbonology®

The proven method for achieving your carbon goals, aligned with ISO 14064 (carbon verification) and PAS 2060 (carbon neutrality)

Blackmores ISO Consultancy Service: The creators of isology®

You’ll learn

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

You’ll learn

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

You’ll learn

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

You’ll learn

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

You’ll learn

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

You’ll learn

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

You’ll learn

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

You’ll learn

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

You’ll learn

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

You’ll learn

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

You’ll learn

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

What is the first step when embarking on quantifying your GHG emissions?

So how do you define your boundaries?

How would you recommend going about collecting to data?

Selecting a base year

The Number Crunching

Estimates, Assumptions, Uncertainties and Transparency

Managing your Emissions Going Forward – Applications of Quantification

Further resources:

Work with our ISO Consultants Let Our isologists guide you through your certification.

DIY with our isologyhub Our ISO consultants can still be on hand for support where needed.

About Blackmores ISO Consultants

Our 7 Steps to Success

What our clients have to say

Graeme Adam

Kalil Vandi

David Gibson

Mandy Welsby

Philip Hannabuss

Phil Geens

Trusted by leading organisations across all sectors, we support companies of all sizes in any location.

Are you ready to start your ISO journey?

Listen to our Podcast

Work with our ISO Consultants
Let Our isologists guide you through your certification.

DIY with our isologyhub
Our ISO consultants can still be on hand for support where needed.