Everything you wanted to know: baselining carbon admissions.
Before we can set meaningful goals or take steps towards Net Zero, we need to understand exactly where we’re starting from—that’s where a process called baselining of your carbon admissions comes in. Let’s break down what baselining is and how any organisation can approach it effectively.
Our Carbon Admissions study identified several foundational processes which many tasked with sustainability and Net Zero find difficult. That’s why we’re going to dive into each one of these processes, to help you understand what they are and how to approach them.
Before we can set meaningful goals or take steps towards Net Zero, we need to understand exactly where we’re starting from—that’s where a process called baselining comes in.
Let’s break down what baselining carbon admissions is and how any organisation can approach it effectively.
- Establish the scope: Baselining begins with defining what is being measured. According to the GHG Protocol, organisations need to start by determining which emissions to include based on both the organisational and operational boundaries. For the former, this includes organisational activities, control and influence using either an equity share approach or a control approach. For the operational boundary, this is typically divided into three scopes. The first scope is Scope 1, direct emissions from your own operations, Scope 2, indirect emissions from purchased energy, and Scope 3 other indirect emissions such as supply chain impacts. This ensures clarity on what is being measured and why while breaking down all of these different sources of emissions into more manageable buckets.
- Start collecting and collating the data: Accurate baselining means gathering comprehensive data from lots of different sources. This includes utility bills, on-site energy meters, equipment performance logs, and fleet usage records. Real-time energy monitoring tools, like MY ZEERO, can improve precision by identifying energy usage patterns and inefficiencies.
- Select a timeframe: Organisations need to decide on a representative time frame for their baseline, perhaps a financial year or calendar year. Choosing a period like this should capture regular operational cycles to provide an accurate snapshot of typical energy use and emissions to reflect things like seasonality.
- Normalise any variables: External factors like weather, production levels, or periods of accelerated business growth can all affect energy use. Baselining includes adjusting data to account for these variables, ensuring the baseline reflects typical operations rather than anything that could be classed as an anomality or extreme.
- Documentation and verification: To create a robust baseline of your carbon emissions it’s important to document your methodology, data sources, and any assumptions made during the process. This will make future comparisons much easier, and ensure your baseline is robust and ready to become the foundation for setting reduction targets and designing your pathway to net Zero. Increasingly, as organisations are required to report on carbon reduction, verification by third parties may also play a part, so you have robust evidence to prove the positive impacts your efforts are making.
Baselining carbon emissions may seem like a complex process, but it’s the cornerstone of any effective Net Zero strategy. By following these steps, you’ll not only gain a clearer understanding of your emissions but also lay the groundwork for meaningful and measurable progress.
We’re also here to help. If you need more information or support in baselining your organisation’s carbon emissions, come and talk to us.
Written by Darwich Noureldin, Sustainability Consultant
