If your business is dipping its toes into sustainability (welcome!), you might feel like you’re drowning in the complexity of carbon accounting. 

This concept relates to the calculation of a business’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to better understand your contribution to climate change and use this information you to adjust your carbon management systems. 

If you’ve been keeping up with regulation and the general status quo, you’ll likely be doing your best to reduce your emissions and overall impact on the environment. Carbon accounting is an integral part of this process, but it continues to push businesses out of their depth – or so they think.  

With the help of a professional environmental consultant like WolfPeak, your business can gain a clearer picture of your emissions and use this to go above and beyond. From there, sustainability can be turned into a competitive advantage and the days of carbon confusion will be far behind.  

To get started, simply book a free 30-minute conversation with our team and they’ll outline the process to account for every last puff of GHG emissions.  

Australian Reporting & Regulation 

So that we’re clear, all Commonwealth entities are required to report on emissions from their operations in Australia. That’s according to the Australian Government in line with the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007. 

This data must be outlined in an entity’s annual report so that Government can keep track of the country’s emissions as a whole and support significant emitters.  

The Framework for reporting these emissions has been developed by The Department of Finance, with support from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. This Framework continues to be assessed and updated to suit the changing nature of global emissions standards. In 2022-23, it focused on emissions associated with electricity, natural gas, fleet vehicles, and domestic flights. In 2023-24 it is being expanded to include refrigerants, waste disposal and treatment, employee domestic business travel, and accommodation. 

This extensive list ensures that reporting covers Scope 1, 2, and some Scope 3 emissions and such stringent regulations lend credibility to Australia’s stance on climate change.  

So, How Do You Measure Carbon?  

The conversion of operations into GHG emissions can require some complicated calculations which are best left to the professionals (that’s us!) However, there are some things your business can do prior to approaching the pros. A simple dot pointed list of all your products and processes is a great place to start.  

Think deeply about what goes into your output and not just the output itself. If you produce furniture, your carbon footprint will account for the nails, timber, upholstery, and the tools used to build them – not just the sofa itself.  

From here, you’ll need to consider your power bills, fuel bills, and waste management systems too. Plus, emissions reporting doesn’t stop at your own business’s emissions.  

Scope 3 emissions consider the entire lifecycle of the product once it’s left the warehouse.  

You’ll need to consider the emissions of your courier’s fleet and how long your product takes to break down in landfill, among many other things.  

You’ll also need to consider where your materials are sourced. If you’re in construction for example, those timber frames were once carbon-sucking trees which are now unable to do so. Unless of course you source your timber through sustainable forestry practices.  

As we can see, carbon accounting is an extensive process and one that’s best left to the professionals. We have the tools and expertise to consider all angles of GHG emissions, giving your business the most accurate representation of its carbon footprint.  

Once you’ve acquired a reliable measurement, you’ll be able to report with confidence, proving to regulators and customers alike that your business means business when it comes to the environment.  

Book a Meeting 

For more information on those fancy calculations we mentioned, get in touch with our team and we’ll outline exactly how your business should tackle carbon accounting. It can feel like a mountain of work, but it doesn’t have to with the help of those who know best. Plus, the benefits of accurate figures can be worth their weight in carbon when used correctly. But we’ll leave that to your marketing team!