GHG Footprinting and Reporting: Our track record

Our track record of supporting organisations on emissions management includes the following major projects:

UK GHG emissions inventory

Ricardo-AEA performs the role of Inventory Agency on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Ricardo-AEA was one of the first organisations in the world to make national emission estimates and has operated the UK emissions inventory programme since its inception about 30 years ago. Our support provides the UK Government with:

Emissions inventory data to meet all international reporting obligations, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
UK carbon budget requirements.
Interpretation of data to inform policy formulation.

We also manage several detailed databases which calculate and collate emissions and emission factors.

Defra/DECC’s GHG conversion factors for company reporting

GHG conversion factors were introduced in 2005. Since that time, Ricardo-AEA has supported the UK Government in managing and updating the factors, which are published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The GHG conversion factors provide robust UK-centric default emission factors developed according to the best available information and methodologies.

These factors are used as the basis for calculations on GHG emissions for company reporting by national and international organisations. In addition, we authored the guidance on measuring and reporting GHG emissions from freight transport operations, which provides users with information on best practice, including options for improving data quality and calculation accuracy.

Calculating a major retailer’s carbon footprint

For the last 3 years, Ricardo-AEA has calculated the annual carbon footprint of a major retailer. This involved analysing the year-on-year changes to the footprint, both absolute and in relation to the retailer’s overall business performance and drivers. The extent of the footprint has been widened with the addition of scope 3 emissions from overseas freight contractors and the acquisition of a European retail brand. The calculation was used as the basis for external communication on environmental performance.

Ricardo-AEA’s experts made an important contribution to the CSR content of the retailer’s annual report and have written its annual submission to the CDP.

Carbon footprinting services for an international oil and gas company

Since 2008, Ricardo-AEA has provided carbon footprinting and reporting services for an international oil and gas company. This has included the calculation of the company’s annual carbon footprint, and the development of a bespoke data collection and analysis tool. Ricardo-AEA’s expert support has provided the company with the confidence to publicly report on its footprint, helping to maintain its brand image by demonstrating that it understands and is taking responsibility for its emissions. Each year, the results of Ricardo-AEA’s footprint calculations are published in the company’s annual report. In 2012, Ricardo-AEA helped to prepare the company’s annual submission to the CDP.

For more information about Ricardo-AEA’s greenhouse gas assurance service please get in touch with a member of our team.