Carbon accounting represents a structured inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions generated by a company, expressed in COâ‚‚ equivalent. Its definition rests on a straightforward principle: measuring, analysing and tracking all direct or indirect emissions to improve transparency, drive a decarbonisation plan and reduce the carbon footprint over time. Unlike a one-off carbon footprint assessment, it constitutes a continuous process that helps define scope, prioritise actions and align decisions with regulatory requirements, particularly the CSRD, or expectations related to extra-financial accounting. For procurement departments, carbon accounting becomes a structuring tool for managing supplier-related emissions, prioritising reduction actions and guiding sourcing decisions on measurable foundations.
What is carbon accounting?
Carbon accounting draws on internationally recognised accounting frameworks. It structures a continuous process enabling the establishment of precise accounting for all emissions produced by a company’s operations, the definition of a clear scope of analysis and the identification of the most relevant reduction actions. By consolidating these elements within a GHG inventory, it becomes possible to anticipate challenges linked to climate change, the ecological transition and the energy transition.
Carbon accounting: a sustainable framework for tracking all emissions
Carbon accounting enables organisations to analyse, inventory and track the quantity of GHG emissions expressed in COâ‚‚ equivalent, incorporating carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and other gases responsible for global warming. It places particular emphasis on indirect emissions, notably those linked to transport, procurement or product life cycles.
This approach structures long-term evaluation and serves as the foundation for a climate strategy, capable of including levers such as reduction, carbon offsetting or transformation of practices.
Carbon accounting vs carbon footprint: two complementary tools
The carbon footprint is a one-off exercise providing a snapshot of an organisation's emissions.
Carbon accounting, meanwhile, operates within a continuous management logic:
- It tracks consumption trends;
- Compares different emission reduction scenarios;
- Measures the impact of emission factors;
- Enables adjustment of reduction targets.
For procurement departments, this approach offers a concrete operational lever: it enables tracking of the carbon impact of sourcing decisions, comparison of multiple supplier scenarios and arbitration between economic performance and carbon reduction. Carbon accounting thus becomes a key tool for managing procurement strategies over the long term, beyond simple initial diagnosis.
Which standards currently govern carbon accounting?
Several international frameworks have progressively harmonised the way greenhouse gas emissions are measured, quantified and reported. They also facilitate the integration of this data into regulatory obligations.
The GHG Protocol, the global reference
The GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol) currently represents the most widely used standard by organisations. This protocol rests on five principles:
- Relevance;
- Completeness;
- Consistency;
- Transparency;
- Accuracy.
It serves as a guide for structuring regulatory GHG inventory, facilitating the analysis of direct emissions and indirect emissions, and defining consolidation methods suited to the value chain.
ISO 14064: ensuring data reliability and verification
ISO 14064 offers an approach focused on data reliability, verification and traceability. It facilitates the integration of carbon accounting into CSR strategy, internal audit or exchanges with public establishments and external partners.
It also contributes to structuring the evaluation necessary for mechanisms such as the carbon border adjustment mechanism.
The Bilan Carbone® method: a widely used standard in Europe
Compatible with the GHG Protocol, the Bilan Carbone® method facilitates the identification of emission categories and emission factors. It is used by many organisations for an initial carbon footprint, before progressing towards comprehensive carbon accounting.
How to effectively organise data collection by scope?
Implementing carbon accounting requires organising data collection, structuring an inventory suited to the chosen scope and identifying each emission category, whether linked to direct activities, indirect activities or indirect emissions linked to suppliers.
Structuring scopes 1 and 2: direct emissions and energy consumption
Direct emissions (scope 1) encompass those resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels, the use of vehicles or equipment. Indirect energy emissions (scope 2) concern the consumption of electricity, heat or cooling.
These categories require reliable emissions data, often drawn from a consolidated internal database. The consistency of financial accounting with GHG inventory strengthens the overall quality of the approach.
Scope 3: the bulk of emissions and the importance of the value chain
For certain businesses, over half of carbon emissions originate from scope 3. This scope includes:
- Indirect emissions generated by procurement;
- Upstream or downstream transport;
- Outsourced activities;
- End-of-life of products.
As Imran Rasul, Chief Procurement Officer of the Co-Op group, emphasises: "Professionals must feel comfortable discussing carbon footprint reduction with suppliers and internal stakeholders, as well as methods for measuring value chain emissions."
Beyond diagnosis, this visibility on scope 3 constitutes a genuine decision-support tool for procurement departments. It enables identification of the most emissions-intensive suppliers and categories, prioritisation of high-impact reduction actions and integration of carbon criteria into tenders and sourcing choices. Scope 3 thus becomes a structuring lever for aligning procurement strategy with the company's climate objectives.
Methods and tools: which approach to choose for structuring carbon accounting?
Choosing a carbon accounting method and tool does not involve a one-size-fits-all solution. It depends on the company's maturity level, the complexity of its supply chain and the management objectives defined by procurement and ESG departments.
The challenge is not merely to measure emissions, but to have a suitable system for informing decisions, prioritising reduction actions and securing regulatory compliance. From this perspective, organisations generally arbitrate between three complementary approaches.
Internalisation: autonomy and process control
Internalisation of carbon accounting is often favoured by organisations with mature teams and structured processes. It notably enables:
- Fine-tuned control of data collection and quality;
- Integration of carbon accounting into existing processes, particularly procurement and finance;
- Adaptation of calculation methods to the business model and sector specificities.
This approach offers a high level of control, but assumes solid expertise to ensure the accounting of emissions, document emission factors and maintain alignment with the GHG Protocol over time.
Using a specialised platform: automation and reliability
Using a dedicated platform addresses the needs of organisations confronted with significant data volumes or a complex value chain. These tools facilitate data consolidation, draw on reliable emission factor databases and enable modelling of different reduction scenarios.
They also offer key functionalities for management:
- Real-time tracking of reduction actions;
- Improved traceability and regulatory transparency;
- Preparation of a sustainability report compliant with the CSRD.
By providing a structured and comparable view of emissions, these platforms directly support decision-making by procurement and ESG departments.
Drawing on external support: expertise and security
Some organisations have chosen to strengthen their approach through expert support to define priority levers, refine the interpretation of emission factors or structure a decarbonisation plan. In this respect, with its Advisory/Expert Assistance service, Manutan supports companies with genuine human expertise to validate specifications and guide your choice (available in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Portugal, at date of content publication).
Integrating carbon accounting into ESG management and regulatory requirements
Carbon accounting is becoming a pillar of sustainable development, CSR strategy, and transparency obligations established by the European CSRD directive.
A decision-support tool for managing a robust climate strategy
By consolidating information from all three scopes, carbon accounting:
- Highlights priority greenhouse gas emissions;
- Prioritises reduction actions;
- Informs decarbonisation strategy;
- Supports the development of a realistic low-carbon transition.
It also enables evaluation of different sourcing scenarios, integration of low-carbon criteria, or comparison of the footprint of alternative solutions.
Meeting European regulatory obligations
The CSRD makes carbon accounting virtually mandatory for many companies. It requires measuring emissions, documenting methods, providing regulatory GHG inventory, and demonstrating continuous improvement logic.
This framework aligns with the expectations of other European and British regulations concerning:
- Net zero;
- Climate transparency;
- The carbon adjustment mechanism;
- Consistency between financial reporting and carbon accounting.
Carbon accounting offers organisations a comprehensive system for quantifying, analysing and reducing their carbon footprint. By structuring collection, improving emissions data quality, consolidating a robust GHG inventory and managing a climate strategy, it enables effective action in the face of global warming. It also represents a natural extension of CSR strategy, by supporting a low-carbon transition, preparing compliance with the CSRD, and accelerating sustainable development within the company.
