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Publishing your numbers and what "verified" means
Publish your footprint once, on one page, and every customer can use it. Verification is a third-party check against a standard; most customers ask for it later, not first.
Should I publish my carbon footprint?
Yes, as soon as you have a Scope 1 and 2 figure. A published figure can be read by every customer, so you answer once instead of once per request. It also replaces the industry average your customers are using for you with your own number. One page on your website is enough: the year, the sites covered, Scope 1 and 2 in tonnes of CO2e, Scope 3 if you have it with the categories named, the method used for each, and any exclusions.
What should a published footprint include?
- The period. A calendar or financial year, stated.
- The boundary. Which sites and which parts of the business are included.
- Scope 1 and Scope 2, each in tonnes of CO2e, with the consumption behind them. For Scope 2, state whether the figure uses your grid's average factor (location-based) or your tariff's factor (market-based); if you buy renewable electricity, show both.
- Scope 3, if you have it, by category, with the factor used for each (industry average, supplier's own figure, activity data or product footprint).
- The emission factors and tools used, with their source and year.
- Exclusions, stated plainly.
- Who to contact with questions.
The GHG Protocol Corporate Standard sets out the reporting principles behind this list, and following it means your page already looks like what a customer's sustainability team expects.
Your customer will accept: a one-page statement with the seven items above. No design, no report, no certificate needed.
Where should I publish it?
On your own website, where any customer or search engine can find it, and on any public profile your customers use. Some countries also run free public registries for company footprints, such as France's Bilans GES platform and Mexico's Programa GEI México. If a customer uses DitchCarbon, your company has a profile there built from what you have published and from industry data; claiming it is free and lets you add your own figures and upload the statement so they are what that customer sees. If you already have an EcoVadis scorecard, uploading it turns it into emissions data you can reuse. If you have filled in a customer's questionnaire, the answers you gave are the content of your page; reuse them.
What does "verified" mean?
A third party has checked your footprint against a standard and issued a statement saying so. The standard most used is ISO 14064-3, which sets out how a verifier checks a greenhouse gas statement. The check comes in two strengths. Limited assurance means the verifier found nothing to suggest the figure is materially wrong; reasonable assurance means they did enough work to say it is right, which costs more. Verification is a service you pay for, from an accredited verifier, and it is a different thing from a certificate or a rating.
Do I need my emissions verified?
Not for a first request, and usually not in the first year or two. Customers ask for verification when your figures feed their own reported numbers and their auditor wants to see that supplier data was checked, or when you are a large supplier to them. If a customer asks, ask which standard and which level of assurance they want, because the answer changes the cost. A verified Scope 1 and 2 figure is a reasonable goal for year two or three; verified Scope 3 is rarer and more expensive.
What is the difference between verified, certified and rated?
Three different things that get confused.
| Word | What it means | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Verified | Your emissions figure has been checked against a standard such as ISO 14064-3 | An accredited verification body, paid by you |
| Certified | Your management system meets a standard, such as ISO 14001 for environmental management | A certification body, paid by you |
| Rated | A scheme has scored your sustainability answers, such as an EcoVadis scorecard | The rating scheme, usually paid by you |
A customer asking for "verified data" means the first row. An ISO 14001 certificate or a rating does not verify a figure, though both are worth mentioning when you reply.
Do this week: draft the one-page statement from the figures you have. If a customer has asked for verification, reply asking which standard and assurance level they need.
What should I do next?
With a published figure, the Commit stage is next: setting a reduction target without a sustainability team. If your customer uses DitchCarbon, claim your profile and upload the statement.
Where to get help
- GHG Protocol Corporate Standard: the reporting principles a published footprint follows. Free, also in Japanese, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish and Korean.
- ISO 14064-1: a summary of the international standard for an organisation's greenhouse gas inventory, so you know what a verifier checks against. Summary free; the standard itself is paid (one-off purchase).
- SME Climate Hub: Report your progress: a free tool to produce a yearly emissions report to share with customers. Free, also in Arabic, Spanish, Swedish, French and Portuguese.
- Claim your DitchCarbon profile: add your figures and upload your statement where customers using DitchCarbon look. Free, about 30 seconds.
- Upload an EcoVadis report to DitchCarbon: reuse an existing scorecard as emissions data. Free.
- DitchCarbon methodology: how a customer's platform reads what you publish. Free.
In your country
Local calculators, grants and advice for this guide, where we have them. See all countries →
Australia
- Climate Active certification requirements: Climate Active (Australian Government). Requirements to measure, reduce, offset and certify; simpler for small business. In English. Licence fees.
Brazil
- Registro Público de Emissões (Public Emissions Registry): FGVces. Public platform where companies publish their inventories. In Portuguese. Membership needed to publish.
Chile
- HuellaChile: Sistema de Reconocimiento Organizaciones (HuellaChile recognition system): Ministerio del Medio Ambiente. Free national programme with seals for measuring, reducing and more. In Spanish. Free.
Costa Rica
- Programa País Carbono Neutralidad: Categoría Organizacional (Country Programme for Carbon Neutrality: organisations): MINAE Dirección de Cambio Climático. Guidelines and recognition levels, with simpler rules for low-complexity firms. In Spanish. Free (verification paid).
France
- Bilans GES (plateforme ADEME) (GHG report registry): ADEME. National platform where organisations publish their GHG assessment and browse others'. In French. Free.
Hong Kong
- Carbon Footprint Repository for Listed Companies: Environmental Protection Department. Public registry of disclosed footprints; shows what customers publish. In English and Chinese. Free. Closed for now.
Israel
- מערך וולונטרי לדיווח והפחתה של פליטות גזי חמה (Voluntary GHG reporting registry guidance): Ministry of Environmental Protection. How to report reductions in Israel's voluntary registry (2014). In Hebrew. Free.
Malaysia
- Simplified ESG Disclosure Guide (SEDG) for SMEs: Capital Markets Malaysia (Securities Commission affiliate). Priority disclosures with Excel templates aligned to the GHG Protocol. In English, Malay and Chinese. Free.
Mexico
- Programa GEI México: Inscripción (GHG Programme Mexico registration): SEMARNAT with CESPEDES/CCE. Voluntary annual emissions reporting and recognition. In Spanish. Free.
- Registro Nacional de Emisiones (RENE) (National Emissions Registry): SEMARNAT. Mandatory registry for large sites, with guides and methods. In Spanish. Free.
Netherlands
- CO2-Prestatieladder (CO2 Performance Ladder): SKAO. Dutch CO2 reduction certification that gives an advantage in public tenders. In Dutch. Certification paid; guidance free.
Norway
- Miljøfyrtårn (Eco-Lighthouse): Stiftelsen Miljøfyrtårn. Norway's main business environmental certification, with an annual climate report. In Norwegian. Paid certification.
Spain
- Registro de huella de carbono, compensación y proyectos de absorción (National carbon footprint registry): MITECO. Register your footprint and plan and earn the official Calculo/Reduzco seal. In Spanish. Free.
European Union
- VSME: Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for SMEs: EFRAG. The EU voluntary SME report format customers increasingly ask suppliers for. In English, Polish, Estonian, German, Hungarian and Norwegian. Free.
- VSME Digital Template: EFRAG. Fill-in Excel template that totals and checks a VSME report. In English, Spanish, Polish, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Danish, French, German and Italian. Free.
- EMAS (EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme): European Commission. EU scheme to assess, report and improve environmental performance with a verified statement. In English. Guidance free; registration paid.
Looking for another country? See free help by country.
Common questions
Should a small supplier publish its carbon footprint?
Yes, as soon as you have Scope 1 and 2. One page on your website with the year, boundary, figures, methods and exclusions lets every customer use it and replaces the industry average they hold for you.
What does verified emissions data mean?
A third party has checked your figure against a standard, usually ISO 14064-3, and issued a statement. Limited assurance is the common level; reasonable assurance is stronger and costs more.
Do suppliers need their emissions verified?
Not for a first request. Customers ask for verification when your figures feed their audited numbers or you are a large supplier to them. Ask which standard and assurance level before agreeing.
What is the difference between verified, certified and rated?
Verified means your emissions figure was checked (ISO 14064-3). Certified means your management system meets a standard (ISO 14001). Rated means a scheme scored your answers (an EcoVadis scorecard). Only the first verifies a figure.
What should a published carbon footprint include?
The period, the boundary, Scope 1 and 2 in tonnes CO2e with consumption behind them, Scope 3 by category with methods, the factors and tools used, exclusions, and a contact.
Get help
Email suppliersupport@ditchcarbon.com and hear back within two working days. Free, whether or not your customer uses DitchCarbon.
Free, takes about 30 seconds, and is where your customer reads your answer from.
