A Carbon Impact Report (sometimes called a carbon footprint report, GHG inventory, or greenhouse gas assessment) is a structured document that quantifies a business's greenhouse gas emissions across Scope 1, Scope 2, and the material categories of Scope 3, expressed in tCO₂e.
It is the foundational deliverable behind almost every credible carbon claim — a PPN 006 Carbon Reduction Plan, an SECR disclosure, an EcoVadis or CDP response, or a customer tender answer all depend on a defensible underlying inventory. Without one, any net zero commitment or reduction target is unverifiable.
Why it matters
Buyers, regulators, and investors increasingly require evidence — not statements. A Carbon Impact Report produced to the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and ISO 14064-1 provides that evidence: a defined boundary, documented methodology, transparent emission factors, and a year-on-year baseline that procurement teams can interrogate.
It also becomes the operational baseline for reduction. Once you know which sources contribute most — typically purchased goods, fuel use, electricity, and freight — you can prioritise interventions that genuinely move the number, instead of symbolic actions that do not.
A practical example
A 40-person UK food and drink SME bidding for a national supermarket listing is asked for its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. A Carbon Impact Report quantifies 28 tCO₂e of Scope 1 (gas boiler, two delivery vans), 64 tCO₂e of Scope 2 (factory electricity), and 1,420 tCO₂e of Scope 3 (ingredients, packaging, upstream transport, employee commuting, waste). The supermarket buyer now has a comparable, board-signed figure to assess against other suppliers — and the SME has a defensible baseline to set reduction targets from.
Need a Carbon Impact Report?
We produce GHG Protocol-aligned Carbon Impact Reports for UK SMEs as a fixed-fee, board-signed deliverable, typically in 4–8 weeks — and in as little as 10 days for urgent tender deadlines. See pricing and turnaround times, or read more on our Carbon Footprint Assessment service page.