“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it – and therefore can’t reduce it”
Energy and sustainability consultancy Advantage Utilities has today underscored the need for businesses to explore carbon reporting and bureau services as the most effective means of achieving net-zero.
The Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) Order 2019 mandates that organisations must reach net-zero by 2050. In recent years, businesses have become acutely aware of the need to focus on their progress towards net-zero and many are exploring carbon reporting and bureau service as a result, not least because of increasing expectations of reporting activities within supply chains and for their customers.
A recent survey revealed that 82% businesses in the UK have set targets to reach net-zero before 2050; however a lack of data around their operations has contributed to stifled progress.
Carbon reporting provides businesses with the ability to measure, report and monitor their carbon footprint. This service provides detailed insight into a business’ energy use, highlighting what improvements can be made to reduce carbon output and offset emissions, as well as making energy savings through reducing consumption of pollutive non-renewables such as grid-sourced energy.
Paul Rekhi, Head of Carbon Services at Advantage Utilities, commented that: “Carbon reporting is so essential to enabling progress towards net-zero. Because if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it and therefore can’t reduce it! That’s why we offer this service to our clients, who have been able to leverage it to not only reduce emissions, but also to reduce their energy bills and safeguard their reputation too.”
Achieving certification of carbon neutrality is a growing asset for businesses, yet research from the British Chambers of Commerce shows that fewer than one in 10 SMEs in the UK fully understand what the net-zero target means for them.
Businesses using a bureau service can have additional confidence in their energy bills because of its use of bill validation, automatically highlighting billing errors in the process by carrying out 100 checks via the bureau service system – making energy savings where overpayments have occurred. Monthly reports are also produced on factors such as consumption, bills and carbon emissions, accessible through an online portal.
“Using a bureau service is crucial to measuring current bills and ensuring that no irregularities occur – and these are surprisingly common. By using carbon reporting in combination with this, businesses can better understand their needs and energy use so that bespoke solutions can be implemented, thereby maximising carbon offsetting and reduction. Through a carbon reporting platform, businesses gain insight into their scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and facilitate supply chain reporting to plan, track and report their GHG emissions and their progress towards net-zero. Businesses must collaborate with their supply chain to tackle the most significant and complex part of its carbon footprint, however,” adds Rekhi.
Rekhi concludes, stating that: “Using both a bureau service and carbon reporting enhances working relationships with key retailer customers and suppliers, improves stakeholder engagement, fostering carbon neutrality and cost efficiencies in the process. These two services are also the most important tools for businesses in achieving net-zero.”
