Calculate your carbon footprint

We work with you to identify all of the activities your business does that produce greenhouse gas emissions.

18 categories of emissions

We consider 18 different categories of activities that may produce greenhouse gas emissions

Carbon impact

For each of these activities we calculate the carbon impact by multiplying the amount of the activity done during the year (the "activity data") by the carbon intensity of that activity (the "emissions factor").

Carbon Footprint

To calculate it is simply a case of adding up the carbon impacts of all the activities we identified.

4 categories of savings

Then we calculate the carbon impact of any offsets you have purchased and any activities you do that save greenhouse gas emissions using the same method. We call this your Carbon Handprint.

Net Emissions

We calculate your net emissions by subtracting your Carbon Handprint from your Carbon Footprint.

If your Net Emissions are zero then you have gone Carbon Neutral

If your Net Emissions are less than zero then you have gone Climate Positive.

Detailed breakdown of your emissions

We give you a detailed breakdown of your emissions by activity, so that you can make informed decisions about where to target and how to prioritise reduction activities.

See Example Full Report

Do you use a recognised standard?

Yes, we adhere to The GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard. this is the most widely used standard in the world and ensures consistency. We also use the GHG Corporate Value Chain Standard to provide a full Scope 3 analysis. If you are considering another approach please do check whether it will provide a full Scope 3 analysis, or you may miss the lion's share of your footprint. If you would like to know more, our explanation of terms contains a description of Scopes 1, 2 and 3.

Can I just use an online calculator?

Of course you can, but make sure you know what your online calculator does. The free ones usually only account for a few categories of activity and can miss up to 80% of your full carbon footprint - the better online calculators do cover most of the categories but you're on your own. By joining Go Climate Positive you will get an independent assessment of your full carbon footprint, help to set meaningful reduction targets and a certificate that gives your customers confidence that you are committed to reducing it.

See all of the emissions categories we assess (the ones shown in green are the ones usually included in most online calculators)

"We wanted to get a true, clear understanding of our carbon footprint" 

- Sue Williams, Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa