1. Patience is the watchword when collecting data
There are two main stages in drawing up a carbon footprint: data collection and analysis.
But some data are easier to obtain than others. For example, financial data and raw data made available to the public are easily accessible. On the other hand, data held by stakeholders (suppliers, service providers, etc.) is not always so readily available. We see two main reasons for this:
Loose laws on sharing information on emissions accounts for products and services
Although legal texts such as the French Transport Code encourage service providers to track and share information on the greenhouse gas emissions of their products and services, these rules are not binding. They do not oblige them to respond to their customers' requests on this subject. In our case, this was a major obstacle to gathering information on our carbon footprint.
Wide geographical disparities in sensitivity to CSR issues
As part of our business, we design our own hardware. To this end, we source a large proportion of our electronic components exclusively from Asia. However, not all our suppliers are equally sensitive to CSR issues. As a result, the information we requested was not always available, and its importance for our business not always well understood.
2. Find a carbon assessment expert to support you
In our case, we chose to collaborate with the start-up Aktio, a SaaS platform that enables us to calculate our carbon footprint and trajectory, in order to take action on our footprint. Their support was key on three points:
Defining relevant analysis perimeters
In order to plan an exhaustive and relevant data collection campaign, it is essential to precisely determine the temporal, organizational and operational analysis perimeters of a carbon footprint. Aktio was a key partner in this process.
Adopting the right tools
Aktio 's SaaS platform integrates Ademe's Base Carbone®, the reference database for carrying out a greenhouse gas emissions assessment. What's more, it provides a clear organization of the data collected. This makes it easier to read and understand the results of the analysis.
- Determining the best scenarios
To make up for the missing data, Aktio helped us choose the monetary ratios and greenhouse gas emission scenarios closest to our business. This enabled us to establish realistic and therefore relevant data estimates.
3. The best assessment is not the most complete, but the most actionable.
Don't misjudge your priorities by taking stock of your carbon footprint
The real challenge of a carbon footprint is what you do with it. Once you understand the structure of your emissions according to your activity, what actions will you put in place to control, manage and reduce them?
Evaluating your carbon footprint will make sense when you design a carbon trajectory for your company and take continuous action to stick to it.
You can start taking action on your carbon footprint while your balance sheet is being calculated.
The three months of work devoted to our carbon footprint enabled us to immerse ourselves in the entire organization of our start-up. This audit brought to light practices that were obsolete or inconsistent with our desire to make an impact.
For example, we realized that our IT equipment was not sufficiently inventoried and tracked. We therefore initiated a new inventory and stock tracking process to improve control of our carbon footprint in this area.
In another example, given the difficulties encountered in collecting data from certain service providers and suppliers, we have decided to include their ability to report on emissions linked to the use of their products or services in the criteria for selecting them. In this way, we are strengthening our commitment to impact by joining forces with players who share our vision.
As you can see, doing your first carbon footprint is just the first, essential step for companies wishing to put their activities on a sustainable footing.
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