Conducting a carbon audit is a vital step for any business looking to drive its ecological transition. This guide outlines the 5 key steps to successfully complete your assessment, effectively reduce your greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and ensure your efforts have a lasting impact.
To ensure the project is a success, you need to do the following from the start:
- Involve executives and decision-makers,
- Launch the project with a kick-off meeting,
- Set clear and ambitious goals,
- Anticipate the workload,
- Promote the carbon audit as an opportunity for continuous improvement.
- Timeframe: usually one full year.
- Organizational: sites, subsidiaries, and entities included.
- Operational: which activities are covered?
- Scope 1: direct emissions (heating, vehicle fleet, etc.)
- Scope 2: indirect emissions from energy (e.g., electricity)
- Scope 3: various indirect emissions (purchasing, transport, product use, etc.)
Mapping your workflows (production, logistics, office operations) helps you pinpoint the data that matters: energy consumption, travel, procurement, and more.
- Assign data collection leads for each department (HR, logistics, facilities, etc.)
- Run internal surveys (e.g., employee commuting habits)
- Set a deadline and schedule regular check-ins
- Centralize all data in a collaborative tool
- Cross-check data for consistency (e.g., comparing consumption across different sites)
- Archive supporting documentation (invoices, reports, etc.)
- Apply official emission factors (Base Carbone®, Ecoinvent, etc.)
- Prioritize physical data over financial figures
- Account for sector-specific factors (gas vs. electricity, freight, etc.)
- Use certified tools or software to ensure calculation accuracy
Key formula:Activity data × Emission factor = Emissions (in CO2e)
- Set a trajectory aligned with the Paris Agreement (e.g., -42% by 2030)
- Identify your primary emission sources
- List the initiatives already in place
- Brainstorm new actions (sustainable mobility, eco-design, responsible procurement, etc.)
- Quantify the impact of every action
- Prioritize based on impact vs. cost
- Set key performance indicators (climate KPIs)
- Build a project team
- Get employees involved
- Track progress regularly
- Communicate internally and externally
- Environmental performance: understand and manage your impacts
- Economic performance: cut costs and stay ahead of price hikes
- Regulatory compliance: get ready for CSRD
- Employer branding and image: attract clients, talent, and investors
With our online carbon calculator, Altopi helps you:
- Collect and organize your data,
- Complete your Carbon Footprint assessment,
- Build your reduction plan in line with industry standards.
👉 Get in touch to kickstart your low-carbon journey.
- The Bilan Carbone® process consists of 5 key steps: commitment, identification, collection, calculation, and reduction.
- Data quality is key to a reliable assessment.
- The goal isn't just to measure, but to achieve lasting reductions.
- A carbon trajectory helps you take effective action while staying ahead of regulatory requirements.
Your company's sustainable performance
