Carbon accounting

Accounting for the future

As part of our bigger goal to help companies measure, understand, and reduce their environmental impact, we offer assistance in calculating your carbon footprint.

Using a structured approach and tailored software tooling, aligned with (inter)national standards like the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and CO2 Prestatieladder, our experts are here to help you identify scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions across your value chain and translate insights into concrete decarbonization strategies.

In line with the Paris Agreement and Science Based Targets (SBTs), we work to develop your climate transition plan and ensure your long-term sustainable growth. 

 

 

Our advisors

Hugo Smits
Hugo Smits Sustainability Consultant
Mikael Ferev
Mikael Ferev Data Consultant

Curious to know more? This is how we do it:

  • Step 1: Scope and methodology formulation
  • Step 2: Data collection
  • Step 3: Emission calculation
  • Step 4: Carbon reduction strategies

  • Defining the scope and deciding on the methodology

    Carbon accounting starts with setting clear boundaries. We assess your business to determine which emission sources should be included and could be identified as key hotspots for improvement. We then select the appropriate accounting method (e.g. GHG Protocol, CO2 Prestatieladder), determine which emission scopes (scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions) should be included, whether we calculate CO2 emissions based on invoices or activities, and establish consistent rules for data collection and reporting. 

  • Collecting and validating data

    Depending on the methodology chosen in step 1, we gather the necessary data to calculate your emissions activity-based or spend-based. This includes both direct data (e.g. fuel usage, travel records) and indirect data (e.g. energy consumption, procurement records). We then assess the completeness, accuracy, and consistency of the data, identifying any gaps or uncertainties. Where necessary, we apply credible estimation methods or emission factors to fill in missing data. The result is a robust, dataset that forms the foundation for accurate and transparent carbon accounting.

  • Calculating emissions using reliable software

    Once your data is prepared, we calculate your carbon footprint using reliable carbon accounting software that enables accurate, efficient, and scalable emissions calculations across scope 1, 2, and 3 categories. With the help of this software, we can connect seamlessly with your internal system or dataset to calculate your emissions. This ensures that the resulting carbon footprint report is not only accurate and comprehensive, but also tailored to your existing systems and workflows, making insights immediately useful for reduction planning and strategy development.

     

  • Developing strategies to reduce your carbon footprint

    With a clear view of your emissions, we develop a tailored roadmap to help your organization reduce its carbon footprint. This roadmap translates data into actionable insights, outlining a decarbonization strategy aligned with your business goals. Our recommendations balance quick wins with long-term investments in areas such as low-carbon technologies, clean energy, and operational and supply chain efficiency. The result is a practical reduction plan, aligned with stakeholder expectations and regulatory requirements, to drive measurable impact over time.

The impact of carbon accounting

Gain actionable insights

Carbon accounting is a critical tool for uncovering sustainability-related risks and opportunities within your operations. In doing so, your business is better positioned to enhance transparency, develop concrete strategies, boost environmental performance, and increase appeal to stakeholders like investors and consumers.

Prepare for regulations

Carbon accounting prepares your business for upcoming climate legislation. By ensuring your emission data is accurate, standardized, and audit-ready, you lay the foundation for regulations like the CSRD and CBAM, thereby reducing compliance risks, demonstrating transparency to regulators up front, and staying ahead of the curve.

Plan for the future

Carbon accounting is an essential step in creating a future-proof business. Our carbon accounting methodology delivers findings into your operations and value chain, energy use and waste, and cost saving opportunities. These insights empower you to make informed, strategic decisions that drive impact improvements and long-term business value

Want to know more about carbon accounting?

What gets measured gets managed, and carbon accounting ensures we measure and improve what truly matters.
Hugo Smits
Hugo Smits Sustainability Consultant Contact Hugo

Why is carbon accounting important for your business? 

Accurate measurement of scope 1, 2, 3 emissions enables credible reporting, stakeholder credibility, and competitive advantage. Carbon accounting is essential for compliance with the CSRD and CBAM, setting Science Based Targets, and developing impactful decarbonisation strategies. Reliable data also reveals cost-saving opportunities, making it both a compliance necessity and a business opportunity. 

For which companies is carbon accounting relevant?

While carbon accounting is crucial for large companies and listed SMEs falling under the CSRD, it can benefit any company seeking to understand its environmental impact. Manufacturing, logistics, and energy-intensive sectors can gain efficiency insights, while B2B suppliers increasingly need verified carbon data for tenders and customer requirements. Additionally, financial institutions use portfolio-level emissions data for sustainable finance disclosures, and SMEs use carbon accounting to meet stakeholder expectations.

When should you start with carbon accounting?

Implementation typically takes 3–6 months, so starting early ensures readiness for upcoming regulations and reporting timelines. Historical baseline data is often a must, while some frameworks like the one from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) require 2-3 years of consistent measurements. As such, early adoption allows for enough time to refine data quality from estimates to activity-based measurements, thereby improving credibility and decision-making over time.

What are challenges companies face with carbon accounting and how do you solve them?

The biggest challenge is collecting reliable scope 3 data across complex supply chains. Data quality varies between spend-based and activity-based methods, and many companies lack dedicated resources for ongoing management. Without consistent supplier engagement and standardized reporting frameworks, emissions estimates remain uncertain and carbon reduction strategies becomes less effective.

What makes our carbon accounting and SaaS model unique?

Our Sustainability as a Service subscription delivers ongoing carbon accounting without the need for a full in-house department. We collect and validate activity data, improve scope 3 quality over time, and prepare for regulations like the CSRD and CBAM. In doing so, we implement standardized methods, strengthen data analysis, and provide clear reduction pathways that align with business goals.

Reach out to us for any question

Wondering how we can help? Or looking for more information on an ESG topic?

Contact us
Kevin van Dam Kevin van Dam Managing Consultant