Estimate your business carbon footprint in minutes, free
Free · No login · A few minutes · Aligned with the GHG Protocol
How the free calculator works
Three short steps, a few minutes, with estimates ready if you don't have your figures.
Step 1
Answer guided questions
Tell us about your business and how it runs. Bring your energy, travel and waste figures if you have them, or let us estimate from your floor area and team size.
Step 2
Get your instant footprint
See your estimated emissions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3, and the three areas driving most of your impact.
Step 3
Receive your action plan
Walk away with a personalised list of practical next steps, plus a shareable Carbon Stamp result you can send to clients, suppliers or tender teams.
Built on real UK data
DEFRA-aligned, with clear scope coverage
The Carbon Stamp's free calculator applies the UK Government's DEFRA Emission Factors 2025/26 to the figures you enter, the same published factors used in verified Scope 1, 2 and 3 reporting. It covers Scope 1 (on-site fuel and company vehicles), Scope 2 (purchased electricity) and the Scope 3 categories a short questionnaire can capture well: business travel, commuting and waste. It does not attempt data-intensive Scope 3 categories such as purchased goods and services, capital goods or leased assets, which need your actual data rather than an estimate.
| Scope | Covered by the free estimate |
|---|---|
| Scope 1 | On-site heating fuel (gas, oil, LPG) and company vehicles |
| Scope 2 | Purchased electricity, adjusted for any certified renewable tariff |
| Scope 3 | Business travel, commuting and waste. Purchased goods and services, capital goods and leased assets are not included |
| Comparison criterion | Free estimate | Verified Carbon Impact Report |
|---|---|---|
| Data source | The figures you enter, run through DEFRA averages | Your actual activity data: bills, receipts, supplier records |
| Who checks it | Nobody, it's self-serve | A named carbon consultant, who puts their name behind the figure |
| Turnaround | A few minutes | Four to eight weeks |
| Use case | Internal planning, a first conversation, working out where to focus | Tenders, NHS supply, verified disclosures, investor due diligence |
What to have ready before you start
None of this needs to be exact. A reasonable estimate for each is enough for a useful first figure, and the calculator estimates for you wherever you leave a gap.
- Heating fuel. Mains gas, oil, LPG or electric-only, and roughly how much you use a year.
- Electricity usage. Annual kWh from your bill, or your floor area if you don't have it to hand.
- Company vehicles. Any cars, vans or HGVs you own or lease, and a rough annual distance.
- Business travel. Whether anyone flies for work, and roughly how many trips a year.
- Commuting. How your team mostly gets to work, and a typical journey.
- Waste. A rough sense of how much general waste you produce.
What you'll walk away with
Most carbon tools hand you a number and leave you there. Here's what your free estimate actually gives you.
Your estimated total footprint
Measured across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 and shown in tonnes of CO₂e, with a relatable comparison so it actually means something.
Your three biggest hotspots
The areas of your business creating the most emissions, so you know exactly where to start.
A personalised action plan
Practical, prioritised next steps matched to your sector and size, not generic advice.
A shareable Carbon Stamp result
A clean, branded snapshot of where you stand that you can share with clients, suppliers, investors or on tenders.
Your result is an informed estimate to get you started, not a verified audit. It's the fast first step before a full measurement.
The complete guide
Measuring your business carbon footprint, explained
What is a business carbon footprint?
A business carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases your company is responsible for over a year, measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e). It spans the energy you use, the way you and your goods travel, and the products and services you buy. Measuring it gives you a baseline you can report, compare against your industry, and reduce over time.
Is this free calculator right for your business?
This free estimator is the right starting point if you want a fast, jargon-free first look at your emissions, rather than a verified, audit-grade figure. It's a great fit if:
- You want a simple, initial view of your footprint, not full detail or assurance.
- You don't yet have energy bills, mileage or spend data to hand.
- You need a number and a sense of your hotspots quickly, for your own planning or an early client question.
- You're not (yet) being asked for a third-party verified footprint.
If you need an accurate, full-scope footprint for SECR, a tender, or certification, you'll want a complete measurement built on your real data. That's exactly what our Carbon Impact Report delivers, and you can move straight from this estimate to it.
Why should your business measure its carbon footprint?
Beyond the environmental case, there are clear commercial reasons UK businesses measure and reduce their emissions:
- Win and keep work. Carbon data and a reduction commitment are increasingly required in RFPs and tenders, including PPN 006 for public-sector bids.
- Comply with reporting rules. Larger businesses report under SECR, and supply-chain expectations are pushing this down to SMEs.
- Cut costs. Emissions usually track wasted energy, fuel and materials, so measuring shows you where the savings are.
- Attract talent and customers. Employees, buyers and investors increasingly favour businesses that can show they're measuring and improving.
Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions explained
The GHG Protocol, the world's most widely used carbon accounting standard, splits emissions into three groups:
- Scope 1: direct emissions you create on site, such as gas heating or fuel burned in company vehicles.
- Scope 2: indirect energy emissions from the electricity you buy and use.
- Scope 3: everything else in your value chain, such as purchased goods and services, business travel, employee commuting, waste and your digital footprint. For most businesses, Scope 3 is the largest share by far.
How does measuring a carbon footprint actually work?
At its simplest, measuring emissions means multiplying your business activity (or spend) by an emissions factor, sometimes called a conversion factor, that turns that activity into greenhouse gas output. For example, your electricity use in kWh multiplied by the published factor for UK electricity gives your Scope 2 emissions in tCO₂e.
In the UK, DEFRA publishes these emissions factors every year, and they're the basis most businesses use for reporting. Our free estimator uses the same DEFRA factors, applied to the sector, size and operational choices you tell us. It's a spend-based and average-data approach that produces a credible screening estimate in minutes, without you needing a single bill.
What is tCO₂e?
Your footprint is expressed in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e). There are several greenhouse gases, each with a different warming impact. CO₂e expresses them all in terms of the equivalent impact of carbon dioxide, so you can talk about and compare a single number rather than each gas separately.
What this estimate includes, and what it doesn't
This is a simplified, screening-level estimate. It covers Scope 1, Scope 2 and the most common Scope 3 categories (purchased goods and services, business travel, commuting, waste and your digital footprint), modelled from your answers. Because it relies on estimates rather than your actual data, we don't provide assurance on the figure, and some Scope 3 categories (such as capital goods, leased assets, and the use of sold products) aren't included. The methodology note on your result spells out exactly what's covered.
From a free estimate to an audit-grade footprint
The estimate shows your scale and your hotspots in minutes. When you need verified numbers for SECR, a tender, or ISO-aligned reporting, a full Carbon Impact Report uses your real data and comes with a live carbon dashboard you can share with clients and tender teams. It's the natural next step once you've seen where you stand.
The Carbon StampCarbon footprint dashboard
Riverside Manufacturing
Total emissions
1,285
tCO₂e
1,285
tCO₂e
-12.4%
2023
18.4
tCO₂e/£M
2040
target
Emissions by scope
GHG Protocol Scope 1, 2 & 3
From a quick estimate to a live carbon dashboard
When you're ready for audit-grade numbers, every Carbon Stamp assessment comes with a live dashboard, the same one shown above. Track your footprint, see your hotspots and share your progress with clients and tender teams.
- Your full Scope 1, 2 & 3 footprint, measured from your real data
- Reduction trajectory and net-zero target tracking
- A shareable, tender-ready record of your progress
Real Partnerships, Real Results
See us in action with our clients. These aren't stock photos - they're real moments from our actual partnerships, showing the tangible impact we deliver together.
Brand with reach or a strong sustainability story? We occasionally partner on price, mention it on your scoping call and we'll explore it together.
Manufacturing Excellence in Action
Our partnership with Advanced Coated Products showcases how manufacturing leaders can achieve carbon compliance without compromising operational excellence.
Celebrating Advanced Coated Products' carbon assessment completion with their team
Crafting Sustainability Excellence
Working directly in their distillery environment, we delivered comprehensive carbon assessment tailored to craft spirits production.
Certificate presentation at 6 O'Clock Gin distillery - carbon footprint assessment completion
Partnership in Action
Our collaboration with Addis demonstrates the power of expert guidance combined with genuine commitment to sustainability transformation.
The Carbon Stamp team working directly with Addis leadership
Trusted by UK businesses
100+ UK businesses have measured their footprint with The Carbon Stamp's tools and services. Calculated aligned with the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064, using DEFRA's published conversion factors.
After a competitive selection process, Addis chose The Carbon Stamp for our first carbon footprint assessment. We were delighted with the efficiency of the process.
The Carbon Stamp stepped in at short notice as we had a tender deadline to meet. They produced a clear, professional plan just in time. Excellent communication throughout.
This was our first experience with carbon reporting, and The Carbon Stamp supported us every step of the way, allowing us to provide the data quickly and efficiently.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to see your number?
Get your estimated footprint, your biggest hotspots and a personalised action plan in minutes, free.
Free · No login · A few minutes · Aligned with the GHG Protocol