CO₂ Corporate CO₂ accounting

A CO₂ balance is not a final report, but a snapshot. Data changes, suppliers shift, the electricity grid varies. That’s why there is no such thing as a perfect end point.

Many companies hope for the moment when everything feels “right.” In practice, it works differently. Each balance becomes more precise the next time – simply because you understand the company better.

This perspective takes the pressure off. Accounting is not a sprint but a cycle: look, calculate, learn, adjust. You never “finish” it – but you become reliable very quickly.

Many people believe a good balance requires primary data everywhere: exact consumption figures or detailed supplier information. In reality, this rarely works.

Secondary data is not a fallback solution – it is everyday practice. Averages, model values, databases – without them, carbon accounting would hardly function.

This insight immediately relaxes the process: What matters is not whether every value was measured precisely, but whether the overall picture is coherent. Primary data improves the balance, but it is not mandatory. A clean mix is entirely sufficient.

Not everything belongs in a CO₂ balance. Many things appear theoretically but are irrelevant in practice. The contribution is too small, too irregular or simply immaterial.

A common concern is leaving out something “important.” But carbon accounting is not a sticker album. It’s about capturing what matters – not every screw, paperclip or roll of tape.

Understanding what is materially significant gives immediate clarity. And suddenly accounting becomes manageable: less data chasing, more orientation.

Many companies start with the idea: “We hardly have any emissions.” Or: “Without exact supplier data, we can’t calculate anything.” In practice, both are rarely true.

Emissions often hide where you don’t expect them – in materials, energy use or purchased services. And even when data is missing, estimates are completely normal.

This realisation is liberating. Accounting is less complicated than many think. The biggest hurdles are usually expectations, not facts.

Many stumble over the question: “Am I really using green electricity?”

Guarantees of origin answer that from a balance-sheet perspective – not a physical one. A GoO says: renewable electricity was generated somewhere in Europe for your consumption.
It does not mean the electrons in your cable came from that source.

Both values – location-based and market-based – have their purpose. Together they give an honest picture: what physically comes from the socket, and what the company has consciously chosen.

A good balance is not defined by three decimal places but by its logic. 

Are the data traceable?
Is the structure clear?
Can decisions be derived from it?

Many people focus too much on the final number. But the balance is only a tool. It helps you see patterns:

Where emissions are high, where they are low, and where attention pays off.

As long as this orientation is there, the balance fulfils its purpose – whether the result is 512 or 539 tonnes.

Scopes seem technical at first glance. In practice, they follow simple everyday logic:

Scope 1: Everything emitted directly by the company.
Scope 2: Purchased electricity, heat, cooling.
Scope 3: Everything before and after the company – across the value chain.

Many expect chaos in Scope 3. In reality, it clarifies the full picture. Often, it also reveals the biggest levers – not the biggest effort.

It’s tempting to postpone Scope 3. It feels distant and hard to grasp. But without Scope 3, most of the footprint is missing. 

The good news: No one expects perfect detail. Estimates are normal and widely accepted – as long as they are plausible. 

Considering Scope 3 changes how companies understand themselves:

less inwardly, 
more along the value chain.

That’s where the relevant shifts happen.

Many assume the major reduction potentials lie in fleet emissions or business travel.

In reality, the levers often lie elsewhere:
in energy, materials and procurement.

A balance reveals where a company can truly make an impact. Sometimes the largest share sits in a single material. Sometimes in one machine. Sometimes in a process no one questions anymore.

Once the levers are visible, climate strategy becomes simpler – and far more effective.

CO₂ accounting does not need to be a large project. A small, reliable process is enough:

clear responsibilities,
stable data sources,
annual repetition.

Many believe software solves everything. In truth, consistency makes the difference. Reviewing, updating and understanding once a year is enough.

Over time, this creates routine. And from routine comes reliability.