How to calculate the carbon footprint of a company

Measuring the carbon footprint of your company is becoming a business necessity. Reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is no longer optional for all companies.

The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and similar frameworks in the UK require companies to disclose their emissions—especially Scope 1, 2 and material Scope 3. In addition to compliance, measuring your carbon footprint helps you:

• identify inefficiencies and reduce costs
• meet buyer and investor expectations
• improve supply chain transparency
• align with sustainability goals

Using a dedicated carbon management software like Tapio makes this process easier. Tapio allows you to collaborate on data collection, manage user access across departments, and keep your process structured with features like the site tree view.

Standards and frameworks for carbon calculation

The two most widely used frameworks for calculating a company’s carbon footprint are:

• GHG Protocol Corporate Standard: the global reference for measuring and categorising emissions into Scope 1, 2 and 3.
• Bilan Carbone® by ABC: used widely in France, particularly for compliance with ADEME and regional reporting requirements.

These frameworks provide a solid foundation to structure your footprint and ensure consistency over time.

Step-by-step methodology to calculate a carbon footprint

Calculating your carbon footprint involves six essential steps:

1. Set organisational boundaries and map company sites

Start by deciding which entities, sites and subsidiaries are part of your footprint. Most companies use the operational control approach. With Tapio, you can easily visualise your company structure through the site tree view, ensuring all parts of your business are included.

2. Map direct and indirect emissions sources

Next, identify all relevant sources of emissions across:

• Scope 1: direct emissions from owned sources (e.g. fuel, company vehicles)
• Scope 2: indirect emissions from purchased electricity or heat
• Scope 3: value chain emissions like business travel, waste, purchased goods

This mapping exercise is the foundation of your carbon assessment.

3. Collect activity data

This step is often the most time-consuming. You’ll need to gather data such as:

• electricity consumption per site
• litres of fuel used by company vehicles
• amount spent on business travel or goods purchased

Some data is activity-based (e.g. kWh, litres), while other data may be spend-based (e.g. € spent). Tapio helps you structure data collection by allowing team members to collaborate directly on the platform, with clear user access levels and real-time progress tracking.

Tips to stay organised:

• assign one person per site or department
• use Tapio’s report overview to check if data is missing
• document assumptions and data sources early on

4. Calculate CO₂e emissions

Use the basic formula:
Activity data × Emission factor = Emissions (in CO₂e)

An emission factor represents the average emissions per unit of activity (e.g. kg CO₂ per kWh). Tapio includes an extensive, built-in database of more than 2,500 emission factors, so you don’t need to search for them yourself.

You can run a market-based or location-based calculation, depending on whether you want to account for renewable energy purchases or average grid emissions. Tapio lets you compare both approaches in one click.

5. Verify results and check data quality

Once your emissions are calculated, review them carefully. Tapio includes data quality visualisation, so you can easily see where your data is strong and where improvements are needed. This helps you prioritise next steps and increase accuracy over time.

6. Publish the report

Prepare your results in a format aligned with reporting requirements (e.g., CSRD, internal ESG reports, CDP, Ecovadis). With Tapio, you can export clear, structured results and track your progress year over year.

Tools to support your carbon footprint calculation

Tapio’s carbon management software is designed for consultants and in-house teams working with medium and large companies. Features include:

• collaborative data collection with custom user access
• visualisation of your company structure via site tree view
• extensive emissions factor database (2,500+ factors)
• market- and location-based reporting
• real-time report overview to check data completeness
• data quality scores to highlight areas for improvement

Tapio makes carbon reporting faster, clearer, and more accurate—especially when multiple people or departments are involved.

I’ve calculated my emissions, what’s next?

Once your emissions are calculated, here’s what to do next:

• Analyse your results: identify emissions hotspots using Tapio’s visual charts
• Set reduction targets: based on science-based guidance and internal goals
• Develop an action plan: prioritise high-impact areas such as electricity, transport, or supplier engagement
• Communicate results: Tapio lets you export reports and visual graphs for internal and external stakeholders
• Start improvements: use your data quality overview to plan better data collection next year and monitor progress

With Tapio, you can calculate, track, and reduce your emissions over time, making carbon management part of your long-term strategy.

Quick takeaways

• calculating your company’s carbon footprint is essential for compliance and strategic planning
• use the GHG Protocol or Bilan Carbone frameworks as your foundation
• follow a 6-step process to structure your reporting
• Tapio’s carbon management software simplifies data collection, calculation and verification
• activity-based and spend-based data can be combined for flexibility
• once calculated, use your results to drive reduction, engagement and improvement
• Tapio supports you at every stage with built-in tools, expert support, and collaborative features

Conclusion

Calculating the carbon footprint of a company gives you the clarity to act. Whether you’re meeting CSRD requirements, reporting to CDP, or improving internal sustainability, the process follows a clear structure—from setting boundaries to collecting data and publishing results.

Using Tapio’s carbon management software streamlines the process from start to finish. With features like collaboration tools, site tree structure, data quality visualisation, and an emission factor database, Tapio makes carbon reporting not only easier—but also more reliable.

Once you’ve calculated your emissions, the next step is to reduce them. Tapio helps you track progress, engage your teams, and share results with stakeholders transparently. Start now and turn carbon reporting into a strategic tool for your company’s future.

Tapio is a carbon management software that allows companies and consultants to calculate and reduce carbon emissions.

Frequently asked questions

Q1: How do I collect all the data I need for carbon reporting?
Use a structured approach by assigning data collection roles per site or department. Tapio’s collaborative interface helps track who’s responsible and what’s missing.

Q2: Is it okay to use spend-based data?
Yes, especially when activity-based data isn’t available. Tapio supports both methods and helps you improve data accuracy over time.

Q3: How do I find emission factors for my activities?
Tapio’s platform includes over 2,500 emission factors, including electricity, transport, materials and more—no need to search for them yourself.

Q4: Can I report both market-based and location-based emissions?
Yes. Tapio lets you choose and compare both methods so you can align with different reporting requirements.

Q5: How do I know if my data is good enough?
Tapio visualises data quality across all categories, helping you identify weak spots and prioritise improvements.