Mandatory Carbon Reporting See all Guides

Help your business prepare for mandatory carbon reporting.

Are you affected?

All UK companies listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange will have to measure and report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It excludes non-UK registered companies, companies listed on AIM and privately owned companies.

We expect the regulation to have a 'comply or explain' clause that may mean some companies do not need to report.

What will you have to report?

  • Emissions: Material GHG emissions in CO2 equivalent (all six Kyoto gases)
  • Emission sources: Scope 1 (direct) and scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat or steam)
  • Organisation boundary: to be defined by company but likely to be based on a financial control or equity share approach to be consistent with the financial report.  It will include global operations.

The regulation is unlikely to specify rules or guidance to follow, but instead allow companies to choose (and disclose) the methodology, and framework or standard, they use.

Our carbon reporting diagnostic service can help you ensure that your organisation's reporting meets regulatory requirements as well as your corporate objectives.

Where will you have to report?

Emissions should be reported in the Director's report of the Annual Report and Accounts. 

There is no requirement for GHG emissions to be assured or verified, however financial auditors must ensure that statements made in the Director's report are not inconsistent with the rest of the report.  Additionally, Directors may themselves wish to follow this route prior to sign-off.

When will you have to report?

The new regulation will be introduced in April 2013.  As such, emissions will first be reported in the 2013/14 Annual Report (usually published around June 2014).

However, we expect companies will have to align GHG reporting with their own financial reporting year.  The regulation is unlikely to be applied retrospectively, so those following calendar years will only begin measurement from January 2014, and report in the 2014 Annual Report (usually published around February 2015).

Why is mandatory carbon reporting being brought in?

The UK has committed to cutting carbon emissions to 50% of 1990 levels by 2025.

Carbon reporting is the first vital step for companies to make reductions in emissions. By measuring and reporting GHG emissions companies can begin to set targets and put in place carbon management initiatives to reduce emissions in the future.  Defra has estimated that reporting will contribute to saving four million tonnes of CO2e emissions by 2021.

How will carbon reporting impact on your business?

It will be necessary to assess your readiness for carbon reporting and ensure you have the necessary systems, processes and resources in place.

Ultimately, carbon reporting will help your business understand its carbon emissions and identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve your reputation and manage long term business risks.

View a video of our briefing session: Mandatory Carbon Reporting: Are you prepared? (August 2012)

Why work with us?

Trusted

Over the last ten years we have worked with 75% of the FTSE 100 and carbon footprinted hundreds of companies globally to help identify risks and opportunities, including:

Coca-cola - We have been working with Coca-Cola since 2007 to reduce the carbon footprint of its most popular UK products . Energy efficiency is now central to its business strategy.    

JCB - When JCB decided to make energy efficiency part of its strategic planning process turned to us for advice. In the first six months of implementation, JCB's energy costs were cut by £728,000.

Experienced

Our experience of corporate carbon footprinting and certification means that we understand how carbon reporting can deliver significant cost savings and enhance corporate reputation and provide new revenue opportunities.

Results

Our results speak for themselves. To date, we have delivered 47MtCO2 and £4.5 billion cost savings for the companies we have worked with.

Want our help with carbon reporting? 

Find out more about our carbon reporting diagnostic service.

Get in touch by calling us on 020 7170 7000, or fill in our online contact form.

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