Choose a specialist to audit your first annual emissions report

What is your annual emissions report?

Your setting’s annual emissions report sets out your setting’s annual carbon footprint calculation, broken down by Scope 1, 2 and 3 against your baseline year’s carbon footprint, so that you can evidence your progress towards Net Zero.

For some settings, this report will be a regulatory requirement under the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting regulations (SECR). As part of your sustainability journey, you should check if SECR and other compliance requirements apply to your setting.

For settings which are not legally required to report, you can use your annual emissions report as a wider opportunity to capture your sustainability goals, the successes of any sustainability initiatives, and your plans for the future. This is a meaningful way to share your sustainability progress with your staff, parents and learners.

Why does it need to be audited?

Auditing your first annual report is a crucial step in ensuring the accuracy, credibility, and effectiveness of your carbon footprint that you will publicly communicate. For settings that are required to produce a SECR report, an audit ensures that your setting complies with the requirements set out in these regulations.

Underreporting or overreporting emissions can undermine the integrity of your climate action plan and any progress you make. The audit process can reveal gaps or errors in your data collection methods, and identify opportunities for more efficient tracking. This helps you improve your emissions reporting process for future years.

Why engage a specialist to audit your report?

Engaging a specialist ensures that the audit is conducted by someone with the professional accreditation and experience in carbon accounting to verify your carbon footprint calculation, and ensure that your report is accurate. This will help you to avoid under or overstating your emissions, reducing reputational risk.

Engaging a specialist as part of your process ensures:

Enhanced accuracy and consistency: They can ensure your data is precise, methodologies are sound and aligned to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), and that metrics are consistent, which will make it easier to track and report on long-term progress.
Improved credibility: An independent audit provides authority and shows a genuine commitment to taking action on sustainability and Net Zero in a measurable way.
Identification of areas for improvement: Specialists can pinpoint gaps or areas needing more focus, ensuring that future reports are even stronger and more effective.
Benchmarking and comparative insights: For specialists with experience across the education sector, they may be able to offer comparisons to similar settings, highlighting best practices and areas where your setting may excel or need support.
Regulatory compliance: For settings that are required to report under SECR, engaging a specialist is the best way to ensure you are legally compliant in your disclosures.

What type of specialist can provide this service?

Environmental and sustainability consultancies are specialised firms that focus on measuring and advising on environmental impacts, climate risks, and carbon footprint assessments, also called carbon accounting. These consultancies exist at both a national and local level.

What to consider when choosing a specialist?

There are thousands of environmental and sustainability consultancies, so it is important to find one that can help you address your specific needs. To select the best provider for auditing and reporting your setting’s carbon footprint, consider the following criteria.

Experience with education settings: Look for organisations that are experienced in carbon accounting specifically for education settings or similar public sector institutions.
Accreditation and standards: Ensure the organisation follows recognised standards, such as the GHG Protocol or ISO 14064, for credible carbon accounting and reporting.
Verification and auditing services: Choose a firm that offers independent verification services to validate and audit your carbon calculations accurately.
Transparent methodology: They should explain their approach to carbon calculation and validation, including data sources, calculations, and assumptions.
Local knowledge and accessibility: Selecting a local organisation makes for easier collaboration, and site visits where required.
References and reviews: Seek recommendations or testimonials from other settings or public institutions they’ve worked with successfully. Alternatively, ask for case studies, examples or testimonials of similar work completed by the organisation.

Range of services

Detailed assessment: the specialist should be able to evaluate the entire Scope 3 footprint, from procurement to waste.
Tailored recommendations: they should offer specific, achievable recommendations to improve your setting’s Scope 3 data.

Technology and software

Data collection: ensure the specialist uses up-to-date software for gathering and analysing data.
Integration with existing systems: where software is used it should easily fit into your current systems and processes.

Nice to haves

Ongoing Support

Long-term collaboration: choose a specialist who offers follow-up support.
Monitoring progress: ongoing tracking of your Scope 3 emissions helps keep your setting on the right path towards meeting its environmental goals.

What to expect in the audit report

Summary: A concise overview of the audit’s findings, strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations for improvements.
Scope: A clear outline of the process used to audit your setting’s carbon footprint including the data sources used for the baseline data and annual data.
Methodology: A description of the auditor's approach and the tools used to verify the data. Their methodology should align to the GHG Protocol, and explain how this was applied.
Data accuracy and verification: This section will confirm the reliability of your data and calculations, noting any inaccuracies or areas where additional data is needed.
Recommendations for improvement: The audit will often conclude with actionable insights to help you to improve the accuracy and completeness of your data, as well as any tools or processes that should be used to support these improvements.

How to use the results of your audit

The audited report is a powerful tool for internal reflection. It will help you to share your carbon footprint and progress, confidently and transparently.

You can use the results to improve:

Operational practices: adjust operational practices to improve the efficiency, accuracy and completeness of data collection.
Stakeholder communication: A verified report builds confidence with stakeholders, from leadership to learners, illustrating the setting's commitment to transparency within the wider community and climate action.
Strategic decision-making: The audit’s recommendations provide a foundation for informed decision-making, helping you identify which aspects of your operations have the greatest impact on your carbon footprint, and ways to address these.