in this first wave , but you have to get everybody disclosing and regulating for the data to get better , so they can more accurately assess their scope 3 emissions .”
Companies must prepare to measure carbon footprint Regardless of the outcome of the SEC ’ s proposal , Theisen says companies should be preparing for scope 1 ( direct emissions ), 2 ( energy usage ) and 3 reporting to eventually become the norm .
The reality is that measuring carbon footprints will likely become mandatory sooner or later , and getting ready for such an eventuality can only be beneficial .
Heavyweight organisations like Google and Microsoft are leaders in this field and having been doing it for years , to the point where they are well-versed in setting emissions targets and measuring their own performance .
“ On the other other side of the spectrum ,” adds Theisen , “ we have a wealth of companies that haven ’ t done anything .
“ Luckily , the companies who aren ’ t on board yet with measuring their carbon footprint can actually benefit from the learnings of others . It ’ s easier to get on board because we ’ re much better trained in how to do that initial assessment of scope 1 , 2 and 3 emissions , even if it means just doing estimations with scope 3 . At least that gets the company well-versed on what emissions are and what they should start paying attention to .
“ What we have now is a real opportunity for knowledge exchange .” businesschief . com 71