A carbon footprint that shows where reduction pays off
Scope 1 to 3 with audit-proof methodology per the GHG Protocol, decarbonisation roadmap and business case. The footprint rarely fails for lack of will, almost always at Scope 3 data collection. That is exactly where I start.
Fixed price €12,500· 6 to 8 weeks· GHG Protocol, ISO 14064
Where the emissions really come from
Per the GHG Protocol the footprint is split into three scopes. In mid-sized companies most emissions do not arise on site but along the supply chain.
Scope 1: direct emissions
Heating, fleet, production, refrigerants. Own sources, usually well documented.
Scope 2: purchased energy
Electricity, district heating, cooling. Reported market-based and location-based, both figures belong in the report.
Scope 3: the value chain
Purchased goods, logistics, business travel, commuting, use and end of life. In most industries more than 80 percent of the footprint.
From 1,401 European reports: 75 percent now report all three scopes. 13 percent deliver no reliable scope data despite reporting. And one in ten shows a Scope 3 smaller than Scope 1 or 2, an alarm signal for the method. A properly set up footprint avoids exactly these mistakes.
Data quality beats data volume: 80 percent of data at PCAF level 2 is worth more than 100 percent at level 5. Emission factors come from BAFA and the German Environment Agency, not from gut feeling.
Footprint plus business case
One figure per scope is the start. The footprint becomes decision-ready only when every reduction measure is weighed against carbon price, funding and payback.
National carbon price corridor of €55 to €65 per tonne for 2026, EU ETS around €80 per tonne, ETS 2 from 2028. Emissions are a cost block with an upward trend, the footprint makes it plannable.
PV, e-mobility, process heat, efficiency: per measure investment, tonnes avoided, carbon cost avoided and payback. The most economical lever comes first.
BAFA, KfW and EU programmes, mapped to the measures with the best business case. Conditions I check at application time.
How the footprint comes together in 6 to 8 weeks
From scattered raw data to an audit-ready footprint. I handle the preparation, you provide access to bills, ERP and fleet.
Scoping and data collection
System boundaries, base year, data sources. Excel templates for everything not in the ERP. Effort on your side: 5 to 10 hours plus one workshop.
Accounting Scope 1 to 3
Full inventory of Scope 1 and 2, Scope 3 screening of the five largest categories with a data quality level per item. 3-year trend where data exists.
Business case and presentation
Reduction measures with ROI, payback and funding, carbon price scenarios through 2030, management presentation. Ready for report, bank and customer.
Product carbon footprint and life cycle assessment per ISO 14040/44 I offer as a separate project when customers ask for product data rather than company data.
What you need the footprint for afterwards
Formally, after the 2026 Omnibus only large companies are obliged to report. In practice many more need a footprint.
VSME and ESRS
Scope 1 and 2 are mandatory in the VSME basic module, Scope 3 in the comprehensive module. The footprint delivers the numbers in the right format.
Supplier requests
Key accounts ask for product and company emissions. A documented footprint answers the request in days instead of weeks.
Financing
ESG-linked loans and funding programmes require reliable climate data. The footprint is the ticket.
Reduction with a plan
Hotspots, measures and payback on one page. The footprint becomes a steering tool, not an annual exercise.
Offsetting comes last: avoid first, then reduce, then compensate unavoidable residual emissions through certified projects. Whoever starts with the certificate has the order mixed up.
Carbon Footprint & ROI Analysis
For companies launching a data-driven climate strategy. Combined with a VSME report: package price.
Carbon Footprint & ROI Analysis
- ✓Full Scope 1+2 inventory
- ✓Scope 3 screening, top 5 categories
- ✓3-year trend analysis
- ✓ROI modelling for PV, e-mobility, processes
- ✓Payback periods and business case
- ✓Carbon price scenarios through 2030
- ✓Funding screening BAFA, KfW, EU
- ✓Management presentation
Carbon accounting and ESG integration for a pre-seed startup
Systematic carbon accounting established, credible offsetting projects identified and a future-proof ESG strategy built. Even without a fleet or factory, the cloud had a footprint nobody had calculated before.
A word on software: carbon accounting tools help with Scope 1 and 2. Most fail at Scope 3, because estimates, missing data and complex allocations need experience, not a licence. I also help with tool selection if you want to keep the footprint up to date yourself afterwards.
Schedule a call
Tell me who needs the footprint and which data you already have. In the free first call we settle system boundaries, base year and whether Scope 3 needs to go in right away.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to prepare a carbon footprint?
Formally, after the 2026 Omnibus the reporting obligation applies only to companies with more than 1,000 employees and more than €450m revenue. In practice far more companies need a footprint: as suppliers, at customers’ request or for financing with ESG requirements.
What does carbon accounting cost?
My fixed price for footprint plus ROI analysis is €12,500. For context: do-it-yourself with tools €0 to €500, software €2,000 to €25,000 per year, fully outsourced for complex companies up to €100,000.
Do I have to account for Scope 3?
The formal reporting obligation has relief for smaller companies. Customers, banks and standards usually demand complete data, because Scope 3 makes up more than 80 percent of the footprint in most industries. The package includes screening of the five largest categories.
Which data do I need?
Consumption data for electricity, heat and fuel, transport routes, material input, production volumes and supplier data. An electricity bill is enough to start, the rest we collect with templates.
How do I capture Scope 3 when much data is missing?
Start with the most important categories, use estimates based on industry benchmarks and improve data quality step by step. 80 percent reliable data is worth more than 100 percent rough estimate.
What are the most common mistakes?
Incomplete data collection, missing or wrong Scope 3 data, wrong scope allocation and outdated emission factors. And the footprint that is prepared once and never touched again. It ages faster than the fleet.
What is the difference between a carbon footprint and an LCA?
The carbon footprint focuses on greenhouse gas emissions in CO₂ equivalents. A life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluates all environmental impacts of a product across its life cycle, including water and biodiversity. I offer both, one for the company, the other for the product.
Where do your emissions come from?
Tell me who needs the footprint and which data you already have. In the free first call we settle system boundaries and the fastest route to the first reliable figure.