It involves much more upfront work to collect and process data.Īchieving Net Zero requires more investment and buy in from all areas of a business and thought needs to go into creative ways to achieve it. Net zeroĪchieving Net Zero takes it one step further, covering scopes 1, 2 and 3 and is therefore more challenging to achieve. To be carbon neutral, a business needs to offset the carbon they directly emit into the atmosphere and look at the energy they are using, and the emissions associated with this power generation.Ī business can eliminate scope 2 emissions by only purchasing 100% green energy. Carbon neutralĪchieving carbon neutral status only covers scopes 1 and 2. If you’d like to find out more about the methodology and principles behind The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, you can download the Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standards here. Scope 3 covers a much wider remit and includes transportation and distribution, waste generated, leased assets, business travel, employee commuting and purchased goods and services through the supply chain, water consumption, and IT equipment and services. This can be zero if you are purchasing 100% renewable energy. Scope 2 is the energy your business purchases, in other words, the emissions created in the production of energy that is eventually used by the company. These are often referred to as direct emissions such as heating an office or transporting goods by vehicle to a customer.

Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions are the emissions released into the atmosphere as a direct result of an activity, or series of activities, carried out by a business.

Net zero vs carbon neutral