We’ve simplified CCF creation into five steps. You and a CarbonChain carbon expert agree the set-up. Your data owners provide the data. CarbonChain runs the calculations and quality checks. You get the results. The platform holds all five steps in one place.
The five steps to a Corporate Carbon Footprint
At a glance
Step | What happens | Who leads |
1. Boundary setting | Agree which entities, sites and emission categories are in scope for the year. | You, with a CarbonChain carbon expert |
2. Assigning data owners | Give each emission source one named owner. | You, with a CarbonChain carbon expert |
3. Collection | Data owners submit activity data and evidence, which is reviewed before calculation. | Your data owners; reviewed by CarbonChain |
4. Emission calculations | Each activity is matched to a verified emission factor and converted to tCO₂e. | CarbonChain |
5. Results | The footprint is reviewed, reported and analysed for hotspots and insights. | You |
Step 1: Boundary setting
Decide what the CCF will include: the entities, the assets (sites, offices and so on) and the emission sources for each one. A CarbonChain carbon expert carries out relevance testing with you, so the right emissions are included and nothing material is missed.
Step 2: Assigning data owners
Every emission source needs one named data owner, the person in your organisation who holds or can get that data. Clear ownership means nothing sits unclaimed. Data owners are often not sustainability specialists; they might be an office manager, a site lead or someone in finance.
Step 3: Collection
Data owners submit their activity data (for example, kWh of electricity or litres of fuel) together with supporting evidence such as bills or invoices. This is usually the step with the most chasing. The platform tracks every request, sends reminders and shows you what is outstanding. CarbonChain reviews each submission before calculation.
Step 4: Emission calculations
CarbonChain runs the activity data through our emission calculator, matching each activity to a verified factor in our emission intensity database. This calculates emissions by scope and category. Our carbon expert team checks and QAs the results before releasing them to you in the platform.
Step 5: Results
Your footprint is ready to review, have assured and report. In the platform you can generate an official CCF report, use analytics dashboards to find hotspots, create reports for specific regulations and ask Analytics AI questions about your data.
Tips for your first CCF
We asked Sofie Breslau, Sustainability Manager at Steelforce, what she would do if she were starting her first CCF again. Her advice:
Get management buy-in first. Make sure leadership understands what you are doing, why, and what decisions they can make with the data, such as where to focus at each location.
Formalise roles. Agree who owns which data. The data usually already exists somewhere in the business, so the job is collecting and tracking it.
Train your data owners. Explain the why, so they see they are part of a bigger picture. It makes a topic many people find dry feel relevant.