This blog takes you further into environmental sustainability and GHG account, by giving you ideas for goals and sustainable initiatives your cleaning company could take to meet your sustainable goals. Furthermore, we give you an overview of important factors of the GHG account and how to formulate a report on GHG.
The global, standardised measurement is called the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG), where every company reports their collected climate footprint. The creation of an annual GHG account is time-consuming, but the first time is the most difficult because the CO₂ data needs to be sought from scratch. Next year, you have a starting point. There might be changes in method, results, and goals, but then you have your template from last year. Here is a guide on what to report and which goals could be realistic and useful for a cleaning company:
The three scopes are a categorisation of a company’s different types of emissions and wider value-chain. They are used in the GHG protocol and account for the total CO₂ emissions of a given company. The 3 scopes according to the Office for National Statistics:
KPI’s will be your goals to follow and later evaluate your cleaning company’s achievements at the end of the year. These KPI goals can both be long-term and short-term, and it is better to start simple and have relatable goals, like a goal of changing light bulbs to LED. Goals are usually directed towards CO₂ emissions, but other initiatives to save resources or recycle are essential too. Here are a handful of environmental sustainability initiatives you could implement into your cleaning company for KPI goals:
A KPI goal could be: “Reduce the company’s carbon emissions by 25% over the next ten years.” This is an overall goal, which could include concrete goals, like having 20% of company cars be electric by the end of the 10 years. However, the long-term goal is specific and measurable, and opens up for creativity from your company to find environmental initiatives. This is an effective KPI for assessing a cleaning company’s progress in environmental sustainability. Such a goal not only aligns with the environmental aspect of ESG but also demonstrates commitment to reducing your climate footprint.
It is important to note that data on CO₂ emissions cannot stand alone. The data require context and written explanation. This is why you need to write a report. These are the five principles for the GHG protocol that you should base your GHG report on:
Use GHG data, methods, criteria, and assumptions that are relevant and suitable to the organization’s environmental impact.
Collect all relevant and make sure no significant emissions are omitted from the report to provide a full picture of your company’s environmental impact.
You should apply the same GHG data, methods, criteria, and assumptions for a homogenous emission calculation every year.
You should publish clear and adequate information, so readers can easily judge if your emission report is trustworthy and reliable.
Try to avoid uncertainties to the best of your ability, and strive for continuous improvement in data quality.
Stakeholders are on many levels the successful factor when it comes to environmental sustainability. Your cleaning company needs to know who the important stakeholders are, and what they expect from you. A stakeholder such as the government could change or add ESG regulations, which is critical to keep up with. Or stakeholders such as clients could have new and ambitious sustainability goals that you need to follow if you want to keep them as clients.
Some stakeholders are not only the ones who might pressure environmental sustainability, but some stakeholders, like other companies, are a part of your scope measures as well.
Cleaning companies’ main stakeholders are clients and staff. Without them, there would be no income and no cleaning service. The Government and investors are also relevant stakeholders for environmental sustainability. The Government have legal authority over your demands with ESG and GHG accounts. If your cleaning company needs investors, then environmental sustainable and good GHG accounts are essential for attracting, and attaining them. Keeping these stakeholders’ opinion, laws, or interests for environmental sustainability in mind while creating KPI goals will ensure competitive, economic and safety benefits for your cleaning company.
Now the real challenge begins… writing the GHG account! We have mentioned the essential factors that goes into the GHG account, and how it should be formulated to be transparent and trustworthy reporting. These annual accounts require sustainable goals, where several climate-friendly initiatives have been proposed. Embracing these practices not only aligns with global sustainability efforts but also positions your company as a frontrunner within the cleaning industry, contributing to a greener, more sustainable future.
If you want to hear more about the role of cleaning in environmental sustainability, then check out our article Cleaning With a Conscience: Uncovering Environmental Sustainability.
Or do you need more time in your daily work to create a GHG account? Then consider exploring our commercial cleaning software at CleanManager. Our digital solutions can help you manage your cleaning company and save time for more important things, like environmental sustainability and GHG accounting.