Whether it is because of the rapidly growing sense of climate urgency or to report for certifications like Ecovadis, obtain a CDP score or get validated targets by the SBTi, carbon footprint measurement is no longer a choice or “nice to have” for companies. In recent years both voluntary and mandatory disclosures have increased. The shift in the landscape is imminent and those who are not on board, risk not only a reputational hit but also a hit to their financial sheet.
What is a company’s carbon footprint?
A company’s carbon footprint represents the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions it generates over a specific period. These emissions stem not only from the company’s own operations but also from its supply chain and the lifecycle of its products. To structure these, the GHG Protocol divides them in 3 scopes.
- Scope 1: Covers direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by the company, such as fuel burned in company vehicles or boilers.
- Scope 2: Includes indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling that the company consumes.
- Scope 3: Encompasses all other indirect emissions that occur across the value chain, both upstream and downstream, such as those from purchases of raw materials, employee commuting, use of sold products, and waste disposal.
Together, these scopes provide a comprehensive view of an entity’s climate impact.
How can you assess your carbon footprint?
To calculate a carbon footprint, organizations in Europe and France typically follow recognized frameworks such as the GHG Protocol, ISO 14064, or Bilan Carbone®, and increasingly align with ESRS requirements under the CSRD. The process generally involves three steps:
- Identify emission sources across all relevant scopes (Scopes 1, 2, and 3), including direct operations, supply chain, and products.
- Collect activity data, such as fuel consumption, electricity use, volumes of purchased materials or kilometers traveled.
- Apply emission factors—standardized coefficients that convert activity data into CO₂-equivalent emissions (e.g., kg CO₂ per liter of diesel). Emission factors are published by authoritative bodies such as the IPCC, IEA, or national agencies.
Following standardized methodologies ensures transparency, and supports accurate sustainability reporting and compliance with EU and national regulations.
Why Conduct a Carbon Footprint Assessment?
Carrying out a carbon footprint assessment is not only a responsible environmental practice but also a regulatory requirement in many countries. In France, for example, Article L229-25 of the Environmental Code requires certain organizations to measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, companies with more than 500 employees (250 in overseas territories) and public institutions with more than 250 staff must publish both an emissions inventory and a reduction plan. For businesses, this report must be updated every three years, while public administrations are required to do so every four years.
But compliance is only part of the story. Conducting a carbon footprint assessment delivers clear business value. It helps companies uncover cost-saving opportunities through energy efficiency, strengthen their eligibility for green financing, and enhance their reputation with stakeholders. By measuring emissions across scopes 1, 2, and 3, organizations can identify their most significant impact areas, prioritize resources, and implement targeted, measurable climate actions. Ultimately, going through this process positions a company not just in regulatory alignment, but strategically prepared for the low-carbon transition and the evolving expectations of the market.
How to Conduct a Carbon Footprint Assessment in a Company
Conducting a carbon assessment requires a structured approach to ensure accuracy and compliance with recognized standards. Companies can draw on established methodologies, digital tools, and internal or external expertise depending on their size, resources, and objectives.
ADEME‘s Bilan Carbone® Methodology
In France, one of the most widely recognized frameworks is ADEME’s Bilan Carbone®, a methodology designed to help organizations measure and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The process typically involves three key steps:
- Defining boundaries – setting the organizational perimeter (subsidiaries, sites, business units), the temporal scope and operational scope (categories 1 to 6).
- Data collection – gathering activity data such as fuel consumption, electricity use, travel distances, raw material inputs, or waste volumes.
- Calculating emissions – applying emission factors from ADEME’s databases to convert activity data into CO₂e.
ADEME provides detailed guides, sector-specific references, and calculation tools to standardize the process, ensure consistency across industries, and facilitate reporting under legal frameworks such as Article L229-25 of the Environmental Code.
ClimateSeed's Support
ClimateSeed provides augmented consulting supported by our GEMS software, allowing companies to track, analyze, and manage emissions with ease. Each GHG measurement project includes a dedicated expert consultant, full access to GEMS, training on carbon accounting, and support on the definition of data collection strategies. Beyond carbon footprint measurement, ClimateSeed also helps organizations define science-aligned emissions reduction targets and co-develop transition plans through stakeholder workshops and in-depth analysis, ensuring actionable, long-term decarbonization strategy.
Concrete Actions to Reduce the Carbon Footprint
Reducing a company’s carbon footprint requires not only measuring emissions but also implementing targeted actions across energy, mobility, procurement, and employee engagement. These initiatives can significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions while creating cost savings, innovation opportunities, and a stronger CSR reputation.
Building Energy Optimization
Les bâtiments constituent une source d'émissions présente dans toutes les entreprises, principalement liée au chauffage, à la climatisation et à l’électricité. Même si elles ne représentent souvent qu’une part limitée des émissions totales, ces émissions peuvent être réduites assez directement. La première étape consiste à réaliser un audit énergétique pour identifier les inefficacités et fixer des priorités pour optimiser les consommations. À partir de là, les entreprises peuvent réduire leurs consommations d’énergie et donc leurs émissions en améliorant l'isolation, en installant des équipements performants comme l'éclairage LED ou des systèmes de CVC modernes, ou encore en adoptant des systèmes de gestion centralisée qui suivent et optimisent la consommation d'énergie en temps réel. Ces mesures réduisent non seulement les émissions de GES de l’entreprise, mais aussi les coûts d'exploitation.
Mobility et Transport
Corporate mobility policies also have an impact on emissions. Companies can reduce their footprint by transitioning to electric or hybrid vehicle fleets, encouraging carpooling and shared mobility and promoting remote work and virtual meetings. Companies can also work on reducing GHG emissions from freight by optimizing goods transportation with smarter logistics and route planning, and prioritize carriers with electric vehicle fleets or using biofuels.
Responsible Procurement and Eco-Design
What a company buys—and how it designs its products—can strongly influence its climate impact. Favouring suppliers with a lower carbon footprint and local sourcing, and integrating eco-design principles such as recyclable materials and modular design, all help minimize emissions across the supply chain and product life cycle. These practices also boost resilience and align with growing consumer demand for sustainable products.
Employee Awareness and Training
Lasting change also depends on people. Training programs, eco-challenges like “bike-to-work” weeks, and regular engagement surveys all help employees see their role in the sustainability journey of their company. Sharing results transparently and celebrating milestones builds motivation and turns staff into ambassadors of change, embedding sustainability into everyday work.
Monitoring, Management, and Communication of Results
A carbon reduction strategy can only be effective if it is monitored over time, managed with precision, and communicated transparently. This ensures that commitments translate into measurable progress and that stakeholders recognize the company’s efforts toward decarbonization.
To track progress, companies should set KPIs aligned with climate objectives, such as absolute and relative GHG emissions, energy efficiency (kWh per m² or unit produced), mobility indicators like the share of low-emission vehicles, and supply chain metrics such as the percentage of eco-certified suppliers. Using dashboards with automated visualization makes it easier to monitor trends, compare sites, and adjust strategies, while integration into broader ESG dashboards ensures consistency with financial and operational reporting.
Beyond internal monitoring, organizations face growing reporting obligations. In the EU, the CSRD and EU Taxonomy require detailed disclosure, while in France Article L229-25 mandates GHG reporting for certain entities. Transparent communication not only ensures compliance but also builds trust with investors, clients, employees, and regulators, while strengthening credibility for green financing, tenders, or certifications.
Going further means turning results into opportunities for engagement and leadership. Publishing case studies, sharing lessons learned, and celebrating milestones can inspire employees and partners, while contributing to industry platforms helps spread best practices. By combining robust KPIs, transparent reporting, and open communication, companies reinforce stakeholder confidence and position themselves as proactive climate actors.
The Path Forward: From Awareness to Action
The business world is at a critical juncture. The days of treating a company’s carbon footprint as an optional, “nice-to-have” endeavor are over. As regulatory frameworks like the CSRD in Europe and Article L229-25 in France become more stringent, and stakeholders from investors to consumers demand greater transparency, measuring and managing GHG emissions has become a fundamental aspect of corporate strategy. Beyond mere compliance, a comprehensive carbon footprint assessment offers a clear roadmap to business resilience and financial health. It is the first step in identifying opportunities for cost savings through energy efficiency, building stronger supply chain relationships, and enhancing brand reputation in an increasingly climate-conscious marketplace.
The journey toward a low-carbon economy is not a single, one-off project but a continuous cycle of measurement, action, and communication. By leveraging established methodologies like the GHG Protocol and ADEME’s Bilan Carbone®, companies can accurately pinpoint their most significant emission sources, from direct operations (Scope 1) to their entire value chain (Scope 3). This data-driven approach allows for the creation of targeted, high-impact reduction strategies, whether through optimizing building energy, shifting to sustainable transport, or implementing responsible procurement policies. Equally important is the commitment to monitoring progress and transparently reporting results, which not only builds trust with stakeholders but also fuels a culture of continuous improvement and accountability. In a world defined by climate urgency, companies that proactively embrace this challenge will not only meet their obligations but will also secure a competitive advantage, positioning themselves as leaders ready to thrive in the sustainable economy of tomorrow.
