What makes up our carbon footprint?
Our operational carbon footprint is made up of emissions from six areas:
- Electricity from the grid
- Transmission and distribution emissions
- Other fuel use (gas heating, gasoil)
- Vehicle fleet
- Contractor vehicle fleet
- Other process emissions
The diagram below shows how much each contributes to our operational carbon emissions. The majority of our emissions come from the electricity we purchase to run our operations. However, since 2018 we have relied entirely on renewable electricity backed by Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin certificates (REGO). This means that renewable electricity generated in the UK is allocated specifically against our consumption by registering the certificates with Ofgem in our name. This certification scheme helps to drive further investment in renewable generation in the UK, particularly from generators who don't have direct relationships with end users.
We categorise our operational carbon emissions in the three scopes defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
| Scope 1 | Scope 2 | Scope 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Direct emissions from the burning of fossil fuels; process and fugitive emissions; transport (company owned/ leased vehicles) | Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling. | Other indirect emissions: business travel (public transport and private vehicles on company business); outsourced activities not in Scopes 1 & 2; Transmission and Distribution of purchased electricity |
Our operational emissions (not including the electricity purchased from renewable sources) are split almost equally between scopes 1 and 3.