White Paper: Phased Inventory Approach

With changing customer expectations and looming government regulations, companies are increasingly recognizing the social and economic value of conducting a carbon footprint (also known as a corporate GHG inventory). The first step toward a corporate reduction strategy is the creation of a baseline GHG inventory. Creating an entity-wide inventory for all emissions sources for a single base year provides companies with a benchmark against which management can identify and leverage efficiency improvements; evaluate various GHG reduction strategies; accurately measure progress towards sustainability goals; report the corporate carbon position to senior management, shareholders, and voluntary reporting initiatives; and position to protect and maximize the value of current energy and efficiency investments in light of future mandatory carbon regulations.

Numerous resources exist to assist in conducting a corporate carbon footprint; one of the most commonly cited being the World Resources Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Greenhouse Gas Protocol (referred to hereafter as the GHG Protocol). While the GHG Protocol is both comprehensive and prescriptive, the length and level of detail can be intimidating and burdensome to a first time practitioner. What we describe in this paper is a discrete step-by-step process explaining how to practically implement an inventory project for any sized company.

We intend for this summary to be used as a basis for beginning a carbon footprint. However, we also recognize that there are challenges specific to organizations that may require more specialized attention. Based on our extensive experience conducting GHG footprints for corporations in a wide range of industries and based on lessons-learned from successfully working through the challenges confronting firms at all levels of execution, we have developed a two-phased approach to defining and quantifying a baseline emissions inventory. 

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