At Footprint Intelligence, we have not created our own methodology, but follow the most up-to-date and widespread framework, the GHG Protocol Standard.
International Standard
9 out of 10 Fortune 500 companies reporting to CDP use the GHG Protocol. It was developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). This comprehensive protocol is divided into several key documents, such as the Corporate Standard, Scope 2 Guidance, and the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard. For specific sectors, it is supplemented by additional guidelines and rule sets, such as the PCAF for financial institutions.
You can read more about the GHG Protocol Standard here.
Transparency and Regulation
To ensure transparency and provide detailed insights into Footprint Intelligence's calculations and methodology, we offer links to articles published by our Environmental Research team. While these frameworks provide a solid foundation, some assumptions and methodological choices are necessary, especially when dealing with the quality and availability of primary and secondary data. In these cases, we might use approximations and proxies, which are explicitly disclosed in the GHG inventory report.
Emission Factors
Our emission factors, crucial for calculating GHG emissions, are based on reliable and widespread databases such as ADEME, BEIS, DEFRA, EPA, IEA, IPCC, EcoInvent, EXIOBASE / USEEIO, EPD, scientific papers, supplier data, and more. Additional emission factors based on supplier and other sources are develop based on data from public authorities, independent bodies, researchers, and companies. The sources and methodologies used are always disclosed and shared with our clients.
Audit-Readiness
The Footprint Intelligence Platform is designed to be audit-ready. Several of our clients have already conducted external audits, facilitated by the full transparency of our calculations. This level of openness and clarity makes our platform not just a tool for measuring and managing emissions but also a reliable source for external verification and auditing purposes.