Find out how we've improved Ecologi Zero
Summary
We’re delighted to announce that we’ll be upgrading Ecologi Zero ® to use the most comprehensive carbon accounting dataset of its kind. The brand new and industry-leading dataset from world-renowned carbon accounting specialist Professor Mike Berners-Lee and his company, Small World Consulting, is the best there is.
This dataset will feed into our calculation of your Scope 3 emissions using our industry-standard spend-based methodology.
As such you might find your carbon footprint has changed. This is no bad thing, as it will give you a better baseline to track against and provide a more comprehensive carbon footprint moving forward.
What do you need to do?
Nothing!
We’ve worked hard at Ecologi to make carbon accounting as easy as possible. We understand the pressures that you, and your business, are under - so we’ve removed as many barriers as possible along the net-zero journey.
Carbon accounting is an emerging industry and progress is constantly being made in the accuracy of data and data collection. To allow you to keep up-to-date with these improvements, Ecologi will update the methodology ensuring that you are at the forefront of carbon accounting.
Previously, when advances were made, businesses would need to spend a significant amount of money for a carbon accountant to recalculate their carbon footprint. Ecologi Zero does this for you automatically and free of charge.
Ecologi Zero automatically recalculates the data that you’ve imported into Ecologi Zero. This not only provides you with a more comprehensive footprint moving forwards but allows you to look back and compare consistent data.
These improvements will allow you to more accurately identify emissions hot spots and make meaningful reductions; bringing you closer to your net-zero goals.
What does this mean for you?
With this huge step forward for Ecologi Zero, you may see some changes in your Carbon Footprint. Based on analysis by Ecologi, some users may see a large increase to their current footprint, however, the majority will see much smaller changes.
Most will see smaller increases, or, some users may even see their footprint reduce. This will all depend on how your business operates.
Certain categories such as postage, courier and freight services, household and retail goods, as well IT hosting & infrastructure and air travel now have much more accurate emissions factors. So depending on the nature of your spend activity these may lead to an increase in reported emissions.
Follow this link to find out more about how Ecologi Zero calculates your carbon footprint
Along with this update, emissions factors for unmatched suppliers have changed. We now use an industry average for the UK rather than the industry you are in due to the improved datasets available. You can improve the accuracy of your footprint by matching your suppliers in Ecologi Zero.
Follow this link to find out more about matching suppliers
Why have we updated Ecologi Zero?
For most Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SME’s) Scope 3 emissions will account for between 70-90% of the total carbon footprint. That's why it’s vital to ensure Ecologi Zero can calculate your Scope 3 emissions as comprehensively as possible.
Ecologi constantly reviews our methodology to ensure that the platform is at the cutting edge of carbon accounting. To achieve the high standards desired by Ecologi, we have worked in consultation with preeminent carbon accounting specialist Professor Mike Berners-Lee to provide you with industry-leading standards and data.
Created by Professor Berners-Lee and his team at Small World Consulting, the dataset will give small and medium-sized businesses the most accurate picture of their supply chain emissions to date.
The dataset marks significant progress in carbon accounting. It combines the most up-to-date, consistent and robust economic and environmental data to produce what we believe to be the most realistic and globally comprehensive set of emissions factors.
As the most comprehensive dataset available it includes all seven greenhouse gases (GHGs) required by the GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard. With previously available datasets, it was only possible to account for six or fewer GHGs.
Crucially, this dataset is a huge step forward for the granularity of our data. This new dataset has also allowed us to more accurately set the boundaries of what is included in your carbon footprint; creating a more comprehensive carbon footprint.
To improve the accuracy of your footprint Ecologi now incorporates the most up-to-date base data available from 2018. The database will also be updated regularly to ensure that we provide you with the latest available emissions factors across all industries.
Who is Professor Mike Berners-Lee?
Professor Berners-Lee is one of the leading authorities in carbon accounting globally.His published works, including How Bad Are Bananas and There is No Planet B, are renowned for simplifying the complex field of carbon accounting and guiding people on the actions they can take to collectively tackle climate change.
FAQ's
Why the increase?
Methodology adjustments & calibrations are a natural part of a yearly carbon footprinting process for all businesses performing carbon footprinting.
We have moved to a more comprehensive up-to-date dataset to improve the reach and accuracy. This has increased the emissions estimates we use for many industry sectors. Certain categories such as postage, courier and freight services, household and retail goods, as well IT hosting & infrastructure and air travel now have more accurate emissions factors, but have seen significant change. So, depending on the nature of your spend activity these may have been the reasons you would see an increase.
As the most comprehensive dataset available it includes all seven greenhouse gases (GHGs) required by the GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard. With previously available datasets, it was only possible to account for six or fewer GHGs. This represents a huge step forward for carbon accounting. The granularity of this new dataset has also allowed us to more accurately set the boundaries of what is included in your carbon footprint; creating a more comprehensive carbon footprint.
Along with this update, the improved datasets enable us to more accurately estimate emissions from the suppliers you have not matched to an industry by using a weighted industry average for the UK. This improves the emissions estimates for those unmatched suppliers but you can improve the accuracy of your footprint further by matching your suppliers in Ecologi Zero.
Am I likely to see increases in my carbon footprint in the future, too?
Carbon accounting is an emerging industry and progress is constantly being made in the accuracy of data and data collection. While adjustments to the methodology are an expected standard on a yearly basis, this is the most significant methodology adjustment we envision for the foreseeable future.
Is the increase primarily generated under Scope 3 emissions?
This update will only impact your Scope 3 emissions. To calculate your Scope 3 emissions, Ecologi Zero matches your spend data to environmentally-extended multi-regional input-output (EE MRIO) models (providing average industry emissions per unit of currency spent). This is the industry standard approach and provides a more complete overview of business emissions and an insight into emissions hotspots across the entire value chain.
Follow this link to find out more about the methodology behind Ecologi Zero
The new dataset that Ecologi has implemented is an update of the EE-MRIO model used by Ecologi Zero.
There are various EEIO databases available and there is significant variation between these. Due to the huge amounts of data points, variation is not unexpected. We’ve chosen to calculate your Scope 3 emissions using industry-leading dataset from world-renowned carbon accounting specialist Professor Mike Berners-Lee and his company, Small World Consulting, as we believe it’s the most comprehensive and realistic representation of your emissions.
For most businesses, value chain emissions (Scope 3) represent between 70-90% of your total emissions. Therefore, this update will impact the majority of emissions for most users. The amount of your carbon footprint that your Scope 3 represents will impact the level of change seen.
Follow this link to find out more about the different Scopes of emissions