Myth-busting: If You Don’t Manufacture, You Don’t Emit
It’s easy to see where myths about emissions calculations come from. It can sometimes look like the process takes place in a black box, and what goes on inside is more magic than science. Trust us, accurately calculating emissions is a scientific process. At Emitwise, we are well positioned to share the secrets of the trade, open the box, and bust some emissions calculation myths along the way.
Many believe that emissions accounting should only be done by manufacturing businesses and that if you don’t manufacture anything, your company doesn’t release significant greenhouse gas emissions. This myth seems to arise from a fundamental misunderstanding about accounting for emissions, but you don’t need to create anything to release greenhouse gas emissions.
Every business emits, every supply chain emits, and despite being unique to your business and supply chain, those emissions need to be considered to inform emissions reduction plans, set targets, and comply with sustainability regulations.
If you’ve ever heard us talk about emissions data accuracy, you’ll know where this is going. An emissions calculation doesn’t come from one monolithic source, as data will need to be gathered from many sources which is where the complexity quickly comes in.
For the most insightful emissions calculations, we will go down to the individual product level. For example, these calculations do not simply account for the fact that you are purchasing a laptop. They also consider the specific brand and laptop model to make precise selections of emission factors and increase the accuracy of your emissions calculations.
The Same Principles Apply to Suppliers
When calculating scope 3 emissions, you must account for your suppliers’ emissions. Supplier engagement and stakeholder support will play key roles in this exercise and to meet them at their maturity level.
Procurement teams will need to work closely with sustainability teams to consider sustainability criteria when selecting suppliers. Throughout this process, procurement teams should be empowered with supplier emissions data to make data-driven decisions.
Companies can support their suppliers in collecting the data they need to calculate their emissions and then pass it up the supply chain. This transparent exchange of data will then facilitate collaboration on decarbonisation opportunities. Leading solution providers are also now able to provide personalised decarbonisation initiatives matched to companies carbon emission profiles and help them generate playbooks and business cases.
Don’t Manufacture Your Emissions Data – Partner Up and Get it Right
Calculating your emissions with the support of an expert in carbon management, such as Emitwise, can help you differentiate yourself from other businesses.
Some businesses use industry averages to calculate their emissions, which may be revealing in terms of a very early assessment but could also obscure the truth behind your business’ emissions. For example, in the cleaning industry, the same average might be used by a cleaning services company and a manufacturer of cleaning products. That average could hide a significant difference in emissions, putting you at a competitive disadvantage in procurement processes.
For accurate emissions calculations, you’ll need to attribute emission factors to the data points relevant to everything you produce and buy. To do so, you’ll ideally partner up with an emissions calculation platform that helps you understand the emissions attached to the various activities in your operations and supply chain.
Don’t do yourself an emissions disservice. Use a platform like Emitwise to accurately calculate your emissions, generate an informed decarbonisation strategy and execution plan for your operations and supply chain, and differentiate yourself now.
