Understand and conduct your company's GHG assessment

If you are looking to grow your business, you certainly have plans, methods and directions to take to move forward. But in the midst of all this, you must not forget the impact of your activity on the environment. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to realize its role and the consequences of certain choices on our beautiful planet. To remedy this and to make sure you understand the environmental issues, you can carry out a GHG assessment of your company.

But how does it work? Is it an obligation and what does it mean? That's what we're going to see in this article dedicated to the GHG assessment of companies!

What is a GHG assessment?

Before helping you understand how a GHG assessment works, what exactly is it? The term GHG assessment refers to the diagnosis of the greenhouse gas emissions of the actors evaluated. This assessment makes it possible to identify emissions and to more easily implement various actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The GHG assessment takes into account direct and indirect emissions based on heat, steam and electricity during the various professional activities. It is therefore important not to confuse GHG balance and carbon balance, because it does not take into account other indirect emissions (deliveries by a supplier, use of the product by a customer). You can now understand why the GHG balance is often referred to as a "simplified carbon balance".

Making a GHG assessment

The GHG assessment is carried out by taking into account two elements

• The perimeter: this concerns one or more sites depending on the company, while making a distinction between an organizational perimeter and an operational perimeter.
• The data collected to be used to carry out the assessment.

From the different data, the GHG assessment can be carried out through two calculations.

• GHG balance on physical emissions: quantity consumed * physical emission factor
• GHG balance on monetary emissions: price * monetary emission factor

Why carry out a GHG assessment for your company? 

What is the purpose of a GHG assessment for your company? It will allow you to make an assessment to move more easily towards sustainable development. Every company must think about the environment and try to preserve our beautiful planet.

The GHG assessment will therefore help you to position yourself and to take the appropriate decisions to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases for which the company is responsible. This approach will also help you to benefit from certain advantages.

• Improve your expenses by optimizing your choices.
• Work on your brand image by communicating on your actions with prospects.
• Strengthen your employer brand by changing your image with your employees.
• Meet a legal obligation depending on your company.

Indeed, the GHG assessment is mandatory under certain conditions:

• + 500 employees (or +250 for the DOM)
• + 250 employees for public institutions
• + 50 000 inhabitants for local authorities
• State services.

If you are concerned by these obligations, you will have to organize yourself to carry out a GHG assessment every 4 years (or 3 years for public structures).

Reducing your company's carbon footprint to improve your GHG footprint

Regardless of your GHG footprint, there are certainly things you want to do to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and improve your business. So what can you do to take care of the environment while continuing to grow your business sustainably?

• Learn about renewable energies: Energy is an essential element for every company, so it is important to optimize it as soon as possible. To do so, you can contact renewable energy suppliers and switch to a cleaner consumption for your company. This will not necessarily require a larger budget, so why not start with this essential point?
• Join a green network: you can find out how to become part of the industrial and territorial ecology in order to get contacts and exchange with economic actors who can help you improve your GHG balance.
• Display the carbon footprint of a product or service: this will allow you to be transparent with your customers while keeping your objectives in mind to reduce these data as quickly as possible.
• Select committed collaborators and investors: surround yourself with professionals who are aware of the fragility of the environment in order to obtain advice and benefit from support in reducing your carbon emissions.
• Change your communication: take the time to review your advertising format by choosing environmentally friendly communication methods (slow content, recyclable elements).  This will improve your brand image while positively influencing consumers.

The GHG assessment can therefore help you identify the elements to be improved in order to develop your company serenely while taking care of the environment!