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Our carbon footprint (2023)
Our carbon footprint
tCO2e
5
(metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions)
Average footprint per employee
Within our reporting period (April 2022 – April 2023), Cynnal Cymru – Sustain Wales had ten FTE (Full Time Equivalent) employees, making our average footprint per employee:
tCO2e
0
(metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions)
How did we calculate our carbon footprint?
To calculate our emissions for each financial year we used a software called Normative. This allowed us to calculate emissions even though we do not own offices and pay bills other than rent. We used a spend-based method for Scope 3 emissions as this is currently the only data we have available.
What's included?
- Employee homeworking
- Electrical equipment (computers, monitors, keyboards etc.)
- Employee commuting
- IT services and software
- Business travel and hotel stays
- Paper and plastic purchases
- Supplier online services (legal paperwork, marketing support etc.)
What isn't included (for now)?
- Water
- Waste
- Deliveries
Breakdown
0
Scope 1
0
Scope 2
5
Scope 3
5
All scopes
You might be thinking, ‘Why are their scope 3 emissions higher when there are almost no emissions from Scope 1?’. This is because we do not own company cars and buildings, and our rent included energy bills, so we did not have our direct emissions (Scope 1). However, with data about our office floor space and number of employees we were able to measure emissions from the use of electricity (Scope 2) and from products and services we buy, staff travel and commute (Scope 3). Due to the pandemic, we spent significantly less time traveling and commuting as well as purchasing goods and services hence our emissions were much lower.
How do the 2023 statistics compare to previous years?
Our emissions increased steadily throughout the 2019 – 2022 reporting period due to three key factors:
- We increased our staff count from four in 2019 (our baseline) to five in 2020, then six in 2021 and eight in 2022;
- We moved to a larger (rented) office, where we were paying gas and electricity bills;
- We changed how we work by transitioning into complete remote working during 2020 and then into our current hybrid model, which has reduced our impact on climate associated with travel
Our 2023 emissions, however, have shown a significant reduction and we have reached our lowest total emissions since we started reporting! We believe that this is primarily due to having more detailed data, which has allowed us to make informed decisions and take action to reduce our carbon footprint. One of the most significant changes we have made was switching to a co-working space in November 2022, which has reduced our emissions significantly compared to the larger spaces we used to rent.
Our decarbonisation plan
We’re committed to Net Zero by 2050. This deadline might seem a long way ahead, but we recognise that in order to reduce our emissions, we need to focus on bringing down our footprint through reductions rather than offsets. Given that we have limited control over our supply chain and that low carbon solutions or products are not always available, we also know that it will take time to decarbonise our Scope 3 emissions.
Based on science-based targets (in line with 1.5 degrees) we previously set our target emissions for 2025 at 5.74tCO2e. We are thrilled to announce that we have achieved our emissions target two years ahead of schedule!
7.26
5.74
4.16
2.7
Total Emissions (tCO2e)
2019
Target Total Emissions (tCO2e)
2025
Target Total Emissions (tCO2E)
2030
Target Total Emissions (tCO2e)
2035
Based upon SBTi’s recommendations, these targets account for:
- a 21% reduction in Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions by 2025
- a 42% reduction in Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions by 2030
- a 63% reduction in Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions by 2035
- real net zero emissions by 2050
Despite these efforts, we still face challenges in reducing our scope 3 emissions. Although we now primarily work from home, we have found that our emissions are still relatively high due to the nature of our work and the products we use. However, having more accurate data has given us more insight into these challenges, allowing us to identify areas where we can make further improvements.
As a small organisation, we are committed to operating ethically and sustainably. We have clear policies regarding business travel and purchasing, which have helped to reduce our emissions.
However, we acknowledge that there is still more work to be done, and we remain committed to finding new ways to reduce our carbon footprint and operate sustainably.
Therefore, we will continue to use the data we have captured about our own emissions to accelerate our actions and reduce our real net zero timeline. We will work to achieve this in the following ways:
Scope 1 & 2 emissions
Scope 1 emissions refer to the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions that we make directly as an organisation. This could include emissions from company vehicles or from hosting events. Scope 2 emissions are those that we make indirectly from the generation of purchased energy, such as those produced from the energy or electricity an organisation buys to heat or cool a building.
Cynnal Cymru office
- Engaging with the management team at our shared office space to promote the use of renewable energy in the building;
- Being mindful of generating and correctly disposing of waste, and reporting any leaks, faulty taps, switches or equipment that may contribute to unnecessary water or energy use;
- Work to model responsible, eco- and carbon-literate office behaviour.
Home offices
- Providing regular, up-to-date advice on sustainable home working practices;
- Keeping our home offices as low-energy as possible, limiting unnecessary lights and gadgets.
Scope 3 emissions
Scope 3 emissions are all the indirect emissions that an organisation is responsible for, up and down its value chain. For example, the emissions caused by the products that it purchases from a supplier, as well as those produced by customers using or disposing of the organisations own products.
Electronic equipment
- Buying only what is necessary for staff to work effectively and seeking out repair options for any damaged or faulty equipment;
- Buying second hand equipment for items such as office furniture, or moving to an office with existing furniture. If we must purchase new, all new equipment will meet a new minimum energy efficiency standard.
IT services and software
- Always taking the environmental impact of suppliers into consideration before using their services.
Paper and plastic purchases
- Keeping operations as digital as possible;
- Foregoing unnecessary promotional materials;
- Seeking out responsibly sourced materials from green suppliers;
- Reusing products instead of buying new;
- Operating a low-carbon catering policy.
App and website
- Maximising the energy efficiency of our website - keeping things concise, optimising images and fonts, and staying up to date with the efficiency of our hosts and servers, applying pressure on these organisations to change where necessary.
Business travel and hotel stays
- Following a low-carbon travel hierarchy wherever possible, based on active travel first, public transport second, and electric car club vehicle hire third, before use of own or non-electric vehicles;
- We have a no domestic flights policy and requiring a business case and Board approval for any international flights;
- Encouraging use of a 'Friends and Family' policy for overnight stays, in line with HMRC guidelines, which is often less carbon-heavy than stays in hotels;
- Operating from a building that offers bicycle storage and reimbursing bike mileage for business trips.
Deliveries
- Seeking out green delivery options such as electric vehicles or bikes or collection hubs to reduce 'last-mile' emissions.
General waste
- Applying a 'reducing and reusing' policy before recycling;
- Ensuring that reusable bowls and plates are available to cut out single-use options;
- Encouraging our office provider to introduce reusable options and wider recycling services.
