Reduce your company's emissions - start where the impact is greatest

Do you, like many other companies, want to reduce your emissions? Does it feel difficult to know where to start?

An important first step in reducing your climate impact is to get a clear overview of your emissions. Companies' emissions are often divided into three categories (Scope 1, 2 and 3) according to the so-called GHG Protocol, which creates an understanding of the areas where emissions are greatest:

• Scope 1 includes direct emissions from the company's own sources, for example from the company's vehicles or physical buildings.
• Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from sources the company uses, for example purchased electricity and heating.
• Scope 3 covers the remaining indirect emissions from sources not owned/controlled by the company, for example transport, use of products, purchasing, suppliers and more.

For many companies, the greatest climate impact lies in Scope 3, that is, in the supply chain and the value chain. This means that the largest emissions often occur outside the company's own operations, through, for example, purchased goods, transport and the use of products. Although Scope 3 often dominates, it is important to analyse all Scopes to gain a complete picture of your company's climate impact.

So how can you reduce your emissions?

Not all measures have the same effect. For some companies, purchasing can account for more than half of their climate impact while energy use is a minor source, whereas for other companies it is exactly the opposite. That is why prioritisation is crucial. By calculating your company's carbon footprint you can identify your largest emission sources and prioritise the right measures. Below are a few examples of measures that can deliver emission reductions across three overarching areas:

1. Purchased goods and services

• Integrate climate requirements into purchasing policies and follow up on suppliers' emission data
• Prioritise suppliers with clear climate targets
• Standardise requirements for product lifespan and repairability
• Choose second-hand goods where possible

2. Transport

• Set targets for reducing travel emissions
• Make digital meetings the default in internal guidelines
• Introduce a travel policy where the train is the default choice for journeys under a certain distance

3. Energy

• Carry out an energy audit to identify efficiency measures
• Set reduction targets linked to energy consumption

Summary

There are many ways to actively work on reducing your emissions, such as switching from air to rail, meat to vegetarian and new to second-hand goods.

With Wellfish you gather all your emissions in one platform in a simple way and get a clear picture of where your largest emissions arise.

In this way you can prioritise the largest emission sources, set targets that can actually be implemented to reduce your emissions, and track the effect over time.

Wilma Hultström