You can only improve what you can measure! First, you need to start analysing your current carbon footprint and to define how to report it in order to properly measure and communicate progress.
This step will be the foundation of your carbon management journey.
Accuracy is not the primary goal here: future improvements in measurement can be part of your action plan. It is advisable to have a broad overview of the GHG emissions generated by your activities: this will increase the potential for future reductions.
The first step in your corporate carbon management journey is to map your activities and define the operational boundaries for your carbon footprint assessment. It is useful to use Scopes 1, 2 and 3 as defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standard in the world:
- Scope 1 emissions are the direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by your company, such as company vehicles, your factories or buildings burning fuel.
- Scope 2 emissions are the indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heat and cooling consumed in facilities or operations owned or controlled by your company.
- Scope 3 emissions are the indirect emissions from transporting your products to the point of sale, your employees' business flights and commutes, the raw materials you use in your products...
To facilitate your carbon emissions inventory, start with a simplified list of your company's business physical flow:
Include your Scope 3 emissions in your inventory from the start, even if you think it will be difficult to properly collect all the relevant quantitative data. At least you will have a qualitative overview of your carbon emissions inventory. You may then decide to start with a partial Scope 3 calculation for the first few years and then gradually include the full inventory.
This baseline overview of your carbon emissions inventory will be your starting point for defining the next steps for data collection and management.
Scope 1
are direct emissions from owned or controlled sources
(ghgprotocol.org)
Scope 2
are the indirect emissions from purchased electricity
(ghgprotocol.org)
The GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard provides requirements and guidance for companies and other organisations to prepare a corporate GHG emissions inventory.
Here is an example to download (excel format) of a framework for defining your project boundaries using Scopes 1,2 and 3 of the GHG Protocol.
South Pole has been at the forefront of decarbonization since 2006, developing and implementing comprehensive strategies that turn climate action into long-term business opportunities for Fortune 500 companies, governments and organizations around the world.
South Pole is more than a consultancy, its team of 1,200+ experts have developed projects, as well as designed innovative tools across finance, climate neutral APIs, and carbon offset solutions to help clients reach their carbon mitigation and Net Zero goals.
To date South Pole has worked with over 1,000 clients, and will soon have developed 800 offset projects across 30 offices globally.
Our solutions have created tens of thousands of jobs in developing countries, hundreds of millions of dollars for business, improved brand value and better living and working conditions for countless people in vulnerable communities around the world.
SustainableSG was started in September 2018 to accompany companies, non-profit entities and government agencies to review and implement effective and sustainable corporate strategies. Our services include:
Sustainao supports companies in their sustainability journey by building an impactful strategy, embedding sustainable practices across operations, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
Our sustainability consulting services are designed in a continuous improvement process:
ACTIVATE - DESIGN - ACCELERATE. Our expert consulting services and trainings help business leaders understand the complexities of sustainability, consider climate- and nature-related risks and opportunities to make informed decisions and alleviate the administrative burdens of:
We work directly with SMEs or collaborate with other sustainability consulting companies on specific projects. We are actively involved in networks of sustainability professionals who share knowledge with public and educate other professionals to bring awareness and accelerate the transition in Singapore and worldwide (incl. The Matcha Initiative, Climate Fresk, etc.).
Our unique strength stems from understanding sustainability from the risk management perspective, creating a business case and using financial reasoning to adopt sustainable business practices and decarbonize.
To compile all the data for company level reporting, you will need to choose a methodology and build or use an existing carbon footprint calculator or ESG Management Platform. There are free software tools available online to help your company understand and calculate the emissions from its own operations, as well as ESG Management Platforms.
Here is an overview of the criteria to consider before choosing which tool to use:
1/ Reporting standards and methodologies
Depending on your reporting objectives, you may need to choose a specialised tool that allows you to follow standards for regulatory compliance (e.g. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol) or to integrate your carbon footprint management into a broader sustainability reporting, such as ISO management.
2/ Training and certification
It is important to take the time to be properly trained on the chosen tool. You will need to check what type of training is available.
Please note that:
To take your journey further, it is advisable to have a trained project leader in-house or to be accompanied by specialists.
See some online calculators below and more on The Matcha Initiative toolbox. Many ESG Management apps are also now available. Some are listed below in the suppliers section and more in our supplier directory.
500 GtCO2
is our remaining global carbon emissions budget under a 1.5°C target scenario
(IPCC's estimate)
50 GtCO2
is our annual global amount of carbon emissions - sadly, still increasing every year
(IPCC's estimate)
Suggested list of free online calculators with pre-set embedded emission factors, guidelines and training to help you start your carbon footprint inventory:
- Calculation Tools from the GreenHouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol). They have a whole range of calculators. Choose the ones adapted to your activities.
- Simplified greenhouse gas emissions calculator from US EPA
- UN climate change calculator for organisations, from UN Climate Change Agency
- CERT from Global Compact Network Singapore, a recommended tool to start with in Singapore. Free for CPLC & GCNS members.
Some Specific Calculators:
- UN Climate Change Calculator for Events
- Website Carbon Footprint Calculator, from Wholegraim Digital
Company providing End-to-End sustainability and Energy Efficiency intelligence services. It contains three main components:
South Pole has been at the forefront of decarbonization since 2006, developing and implementing comprehensive strategies that turn climate action into long-term business opportunities for Fortune 500 companies, governments and organizations around the world.
South Pole is more than a consultancy, its team of 1,200+ experts have developed projects, as well as designed innovative tools across finance, climate neutral APIs, and carbon offset solutions to help clients reach their carbon mitigation and Net Zero goals.
To date South Pole has worked with over 1,000 clients, and will soon have developed 800 offset projects across 30 offices globally.
Our solutions have created tens of thousands of jobs in developing countries, hundreds of millions of dollars for business, improved brand value and better living and working conditions for countless people in vulnerable communities around the world.
STACS is a Singaporean ESG fintech firm partnering with the local Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to develop a ESG data registry, ESGpedia. Its version 2.0, launched in May 2023, has greater data coverage, enhanced solutions and analytics as well as assessment tools, to help financial institutions, corporates and SMEs achieve their decarbonisation and strategic sustainability goals.
We are passionate about people, the environment, and technological progress. We anticipate technological developments and facilitate change – defining standards and going beyond regulatory compliance. Staying true to our founding principle, we add value by creating a safer and more sustainable future.
Carbon emission verification ISO 14064, LCA ISO14067, Green Compass Trainer, other sustainability courses from TUV SUD Academy, Energy audits.
Once you have mapped your activities and selected the appropriate tool, you will focus on collecting data activities and emission factors to measure carbon emissions.
# Data activities
You can try to identify the best available data or proxy to do this, and think about how to improve the measurement later. Accuracy is not the primary objective here: a range may be sufficient to enable you to identify the key levers for reducing your carbon footprint. Make sure you define and document your methodology for measuring your carbon footprint baseline, so that you can monitor and fine tune your future reduction action plan.
# Emission factors
You can start with default emission factors from the UN Emission Factor Database (EFDB) which takes into account the 2006 IPCC Guideline for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and its supplements among others. The Singapore grid emission factor used in the calculation is based on grid emissions published annually by the Energy Market Authority (EMA).
Throughout the process, you will identify areas for progress in data collection and emission factor definitions. Of course, improving your carbon footprint measurement methodology could be part of your future carbon management action plan!
To complete this step, it may be useful to obtain a carbon assurance statement from a third party to verify the accuracy of the GHG emissions data.
See some emission factors databases below and more on The Matcha Initiative toolbox.
0.4057 kg CO2/kWh
is 2021 Singapore Grid Emission Factor - GEF
(EMA)
60 MtCO2e
is Singapore's Low Carbon Strategy 2030 emissions target
(NCCS)
Some emissions factors to start with:
- Electricity Emission Factors in Singapore from Singapore Energy Market Authority (EMA)
- UK Government Conversion Factors for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting. As this is from the UK, you should take the electricity factors from the EMA link above, but all the other emissions factors can be used.
- The GHG Protocol's website provides Excel spreadsheets with emission factors.
- Emission Factor for Greenhouse Gas inventories, from The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) (2015)link to :
- For business air travel carbon emissions, from The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Company providing End-to-End sustainability and Energy Efficiency intelligence services. It contains three main components:
South Pole has been at the forefront of decarbonization since 2006, developing and implementing comprehensive strategies that turn climate action into long-term business opportunities for Fortune 500 companies, governments and organizations around the world.
South Pole is more than a consultancy, its team of 1,200+ experts have developed projects, as well as designed innovative tools across finance, climate neutral APIs, and carbon offset solutions to help clients reach their carbon mitigation and Net Zero goals.
To date South Pole has worked with over 1,000 clients, and will soon have developed 800 offset projects across 30 offices globally.
Our solutions have created tens of thousands of jobs in developing countries, hundreds of millions of dollars for business, improved brand value and better living and working conditions for countless people in vulnerable communities around the world.
SustainableSG was started in September 2018 to accompany companies, non-profit entities and government agencies to review and implement effective and sustainable corporate strategies. Our services include:
Sustainao supports companies in their sustainability journey by building an impactful strategy, embedding sustainable practices across operations, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
Our sustainability consulting services are designed in a continuous improvement process:
The « green journey » may feel overwhelming sometimes, but you are not alone.
Our Buddies have tried, succeeded, failed to implement change in their companies. They share their experience so you can learn, take shortcuts, get inspired and ask questions.
Everybody can become a Buddy and give back to the community; if you are keen, get in touch with us.
With a background in sustainability consulting and audit, Ivona supports businesses in their sustainability journey by building an impactful strategy, embedding sustainable practices across operations, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
She is the founder of Sustainao, a Singapore-based company specialized in sustainability consulting. Previously, Ivona worked as a sustainability auditor at KPMG France. She holds an MBA in CSR & Sustainability and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management.
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As the Senior Programme Manager for Sustainability Validation and Verification at TÜV SÜD, Mei Yee helps organisations add credibility and assurance to their greenhouse gases (GHG) emission assertations and GRI reports by providing third-party verification reports to support organizational claims.
She has six years of experience in the standards development of ISO 30500 and ISO 31800, testing, and certification for non-sewered sanitation systems. Prior to that, Mei Yee spearheaded World Toilet Organization's Rainbow School Toilet projects in China and Sanishop in Cambodia. She is passionate about driving corporate social responsibility and sustainability and has spent more than 18 years in various fields working internationally across teams and cultural boundaries before turning her focus on Singapore to helping companies with their carbon reduction journey. She holds a Masters in Community Water and Sanitation and a Science Degree in Earth Science, majoring in geology and physical geography.
She is a certified WSQ Advanced Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP) Train-The-Trainer (TTT). Since then, she has facilitated many companies in the training for Green Compass – An environmental assessment framework targeted at SME/ manufacturing industries.
Mun Wei is the founder and principal consultant of SustainableSG, which provides advisory and training services in sustainability, strategy, risk and entrepreneurship.
He has worked with corporate, government and non-profit clients on strategy and implementation, reviewing organizational programmes and targets related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, benchmarking and communicating sustainability and other corporate programmes and achievements, promoting inclusive hiring, developing compliance policies and reports, and formulating innovative business models.
He is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Passionate about sustainability and technology, I have spent the last 10 years working in the energy, tech and sustainability sectors. I am VP of Sales at Zuno Carbon, a climate-tech providing end to end carbon management and ESG reporting solutions.
I work at Terrascope, which offers an end-to-end decarbonisation SaaS platform that enables enterprises to measure and manage their Scope-1, Scope-2 and Scope-3 emissions across operations, supply chains, and portfolios. As Climate Regulations Specialist, I help ensure that our product stays ahead of the regulatory curve and advise clients to navigate the dynamic and complex climate regulatory landscape.
Prior to joining Terrascope, I worked at EcoVadis - a global ESG ratings company - where I launched its Singapore office which served more than 800 companies within its first year of operations. The ratings include environmental, social, ethics and sustainable procurement metrics.
I started my career with the Singapore Government, spanning portfolios including manpower, education, transport and decarbonisation. I also helped spearhead the government's measures to fight Covid-19.
I graduated from the London School of Economics, SciencesPo Paris, and Oxford University. As an undergraduate at Oxford, I helped launch the inaugural Oxford Climate Forum - the UK's largest student-run climate change event.
I have been working in Asia for the past 12 years (Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore since 2014) within the digital and technology space.
I have founded and run several companies in different sectors such as IT Consulting, Education, and the F&B business.
I am passionate about how to use technology as a force for good.
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At South Pole, Chris supports Asian clients in their climate leadership and circular economy journey. The scope of services includes both carbon credits & sustainability consultancy. Chris currently manages clients from more than 10 Asian countries in categories such as conglomerate, agriculture, property development, asset management, retailing, information technology, and energy.
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