Walk me through how carbon footprints actually work.
Prefer to get your head around the concepts before diving in? Learn what gets measured, how it’s calculated, and which approach suits your business.
Decarbonising your business is easier than you think.
Kia ora! We're glad you're here.
Climate change is a defining challenge of our time, and while that can feel overwhelming, here’s the thing: business owners like you are actually really well-placed to do something about it. You control your operations, your spending, your supply chain choices. That’s a lot of levers.
This resource is designed to help you take the first (or next) step in your carbon reduction journey, at whatever pace works for you.
How would you like to roll?
I want to learn
I want to measure
I know the basics. What’s the easiest way to get started?
You don’t need to understand everything before you begin. Start here for a quick intro and a free tool that does most of the heavy lifting.
I want 1:1 help
Honestly, I’m not sure what to do first.
If this is all a bit much and you’d prefer to chat things over with a human, reach out and we’ll connect you with one our team. We’re here to help!
How carbon footprints work
Good on your for wanting to understand before you dive in.
This section covers the essential concepts – enough to feel confident when you start gathering data.
What is a carbon footprint?
The total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organisation, service, place, product, or country.
What gets measured? The three scopes.
Greenhouse gas emissions are divided into three categories, called “scopes.” Think of them as three concentric circles around your business.
Scope 1: Direct emissions
Emissions you produce directly, from sources your business owns or controls.
Examples: petrol or diesel in your vehicles, LPG for heating, refrigerants in your air conditioning.
Scope 2: Indirect emissions from energy
Emissions generated by producing the electricity or heat you purchase.
In New Zealand, our electricity grid is highly renewable, which means our Scope 2 emissions tend to be relatively low compared to many other countries.
Scope 3: Everything else
Emissions that occur in your value chain, both upstream and downstream. This is the broadest category and often the most significant for service businesses.
Examples: staff commuting, air travel, waste sent to landfill, working from home, freight, and emissions embedded in goods and services you purchase.
You don’t have to measure everything at once. Most businesses start with Scope 1 and 2, then add Scope 3 categories over time as they build confidence.
