Carbon Footprint Assessment Services
Carbon Footprint Assessment Service:
Measure Your Carbon Footprint. Manage Your Impact. Reach Net Zero.
Understanding your carbon footprint is the first step towards a more sustainable, resilient, and competitive business. CG Business Consulting provides expert carbon footprint assessment, greenhouse gas (GHG) management, and Net Zero support — helping Irish organisations measure what matters, manage their impact, and reduce emissions with confidence.
Book a Free Consultation with our Expert Team:
Ready to Measure, Manage and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint?
Take the first step towards a credible, actionable sustainability strategy. Our team of carbon footprint consultants will guide you through every stage — from establishing your emissions baseline to building a realistic Net Zero Pathway for your business.
What Is a Carbon Footprint Assessment?
Carbon footprint reporting - also referred to as a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory - is the process of identifying, calculating, and reporting the total greenhouse gas emissions generated by your organisation across all activities and operations.
Conducted in line with international standards, including the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1, a carbon footprint assessment quantifies emissions across three scopes:
- Scope 1 — Direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by your organisation (e.g. company vehicles, on-site fuel combustion)
- Scope 2 — Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat, or steam
- Scope 3 — All other indirect emissions across your value chain, including supply chain, business travel, waste, use of your products and services, end of life.
The result is a credible emissions baseline — the foundation for building a credible, actionable Net Zero Pathway and meeting the growing demands of customers, investors, and regulators.
Why Carbon Footprint Assessment Matters for Your Business Today
Climate action is no longer optional. For Irish businesses, the regulatory, commercial, and reputational landscape has shifted significantly — and organisations that act now will be best positioned for the future.
Regulatory Pressure Is Growing Ireland is legally committed to reducing national greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050 under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. The EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is extending sustainability reporting obligations across the supply chain — meaning your large corporate customers may already be required to disclose your emissions data. The proposed European Green Claims Directive (EGCD) reinforces this direction of travel, requiring environmental claims to be substantiated with verified data.
Supply Chain & Procurement Demands Increasingly, large multinationals and public sector bodies require verified carbon data as part of their supplier qualification and tendering processes. Businesses without a credible emissions baseline risk losing contracts to competitors who can demonstrate their sustainability credentials.
Investor & Stakeholder Expectations ESG performance is now a key consideration for investors, lenders, and insurers. A robust carbon footprint assessment demonstrates credible environmental governance and supports access to green finance.
Operational Efficiency & Cost Reduction Identifying your largest emission sources almost always reveals opportunities to reduce energy consumption and operational costs — creating a genuine financial return on your investment in sustainability.
Key Fact: The enterprise economy accounts for 40% of Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions (CSO, 2023). Every organisation has a role — and an opportunity — to act.
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The Challenges Organisations Face
Many businesses recognise the need to measure and reduce their carbon footprint but face real practical barriers in getting started or getting it right.
Not Knowing Where to Begin Carbon footprinting involves complex data collection, scope definitions, emission factor calculations, and reporting protocols. Without expert guidance, organisations often don't know where to start, what data they need, or which framework to follow.
Data Collection & Quality Gathering accurate, complete activity data across Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions is one of the most significant challenges — particularly for Scope 3, which can represent the majority of a business's total emissions footprint.
Internal Capability & Awareness Many teams lack the internal knowledge, time, or resources to manage carbon reporting effectively alongside their day-to-day responsibilities — leading to incomplete assessments or over-reliance on external tools that lack context.
Translating Data Into Action A carbon footprint report on its own has limited value. The real challenge is turning the numbers into a realistic emissions reduction strategy and Net Zero Pathway that the business can actually implement and maintain.
Keeping Pace With Evolving Regulations Reporting requirements and emissions frameworks continue to evolve — including CSRD, VSME, and science-based target standards — making it difficult for organisations to ensure their approach remains current and compliant.
The CG Business Consulting Solution
At CG Business Consulting, we go beyond producing a report. Our structured, collaborative carbon footprint assessment programme is designed to build internal capability, deliver measurable results, and position your organisation for long-term sustainability success.
Step 1 — Scoping & Data Collection We work with your team to define organisational boundaries, identify all relevant emission sources, and establish a robust data collection process aligned with the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1.
Step 2 — Emissions Calculation & Baseline Using verified emission factors — including SEAI Carbon Emission Factors for Ireland, or the most geographically and historically suitable factors for organisations in other jurisdictions — we calculate your Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and produce a credible, auditable emissions baseline for your base year.
Step 3 — Analysis & Reporting We deliver a clear, structured carbon footprint report that identifies your largest emission sources, benchmarks your performance, and meets the requirements of customers, investors, and regulatory frameworks including CSRD.
Step 4 — Net Zero Pathway & Reduction Strategy We work with your team to develop a realistic, prioritised Net Zero Pathway — setting science-aligned reduction targets, identifying key interventions, and establishing a practical roadmap for continuous improvement.
Step 5 — Internal Capability Building Our collaborative approach means your team is actively involved throughout — building the knowledge, confidence, and internal capability to own your sustainability journey long after the programme concludes.
What our Clients Say:
Working with CG Business Consulting provided our team with valuable practical knowledge and a much clearer understanding of our environmental impacts and responsibilities.
The collaborative approach throughout the programme helped build internal awareness and confidence around carbon reporting, sustainability planning, and long-term environmental improvement.
Rather than simply producing a report, the process enabled our team to become actively involved in developing our emissions baseline, identifying improvement opportunities, and shaping a realistic Net Zero Pathway for the future.
We now have stronger internal sustainability capability, clearer environmental objectives, and a practical framework to support continuous improvement across the business.
— Grace Hunter, SX Engineering
Download our Carbon Footprint Assessment Guide
Ready to Measure, Manage and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint?
Take the first step towards a credible, actionable sustainability strategy. Our team of carbon footprint consultants will guide you through every stage — from establishing your emissions baseline to building a realistic Net Zero Pathway for your business
Book a Free Consultation
From the consultation you will:
- Speak directly to an ISO professional
- Get expert advice on your business requirement
- Understand the benefits of certification for your business
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is a carbon footprint assessment for businesses?
A business carbon footprint assessment is the process of identifying, measuring, and reporting all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with an organisation's activities — including direct emissions (Scope 1), emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2), and value chain emissions (Scope 3) — to establish an emissions baseline and inform a reduction strategy.
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How long does a carbon footprint assessment take?
The duration depends on the size and complexity of the organisation. For most Irish SMEs, a full Scope 1, 2, and 3 assessment typically takes between 6 and 12 weeks, including data collection, calculation, and reporting.
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What standards does CGBC use for carbon footprint assessments?
CG Business Consulting conducts carbon footprint assessments in alignment with the internationally recognised GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and ISO 14064-1, ensuring credibility, consistency, and auditability of your emissions data.
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Is a carbon footprint assessment required by law in Ireland?
While not yet universally mandatory, Irish businesses face growing indirect obligations — particularly through the EU CSRD, which requires large organisations and their suppliers to disclose GHG emissions. Carbon data is also increasingly required in public procurement, supply chain questionnaires, and ESG reporting frameworks such as EcoVadis and VSME.
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What is the difference between carbon footprint and Net Zero?
A carbon footprint assessment measures your current emissions. A Net Zero Pathway uses that baseline to set reduction targets and define the actions needed to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions — balancing any residual emissions through verified carbon removal or offsetting.
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What are Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions?
Scope 1 covers direct emissions from sources you control (e.g. company vehicles, boilers). Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from energy you purchase. Scope 3 covers all other indirect emissions in your value chain — typically the largest and most complex category for most organisations.
Ireland’s Leading ISO Consultancy
BOOK a free consultation
From the consultation you will:
- Speak directly to an ISO professional
- Get expert advice on your business requirement
- Understand the benefits of certification for your business