Jessica Richmond and Lindsay Ellis are partners in Ellis Richmond Management and Sustainability Consulting firm based in Burnie. Jessica explained that Sustainability affects all businesses.  “At ER, we follow the Greenhouse Gas Standards to calculate your emissions.”  Those standards divide emissions into Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions.

Scope 1 emissions arise from sources that are directly  controlled by your company, e.g., from combustion of fuel in vehicles that your company owns.         

Scope 2 emissions arise indirectly from the generation of the energy you buy from a utility provider.

Scope 3 emissions are tricky! They cover all the emissions your company is responsible for outside of its own walls – from the goods you purchase to the disposal of the products you sell! These emissions often account for a huge amount of a company’s overall emissions!

“At ER, we assist companies to properly identify and track their Scope 3 emissions.”

Jessica also explained the concept of Carbon Offsets – a government incentive to encourage people to reduce emissions. For instance, if farmer A stops carbon going into the atmosphere by using a special method, farmer A can register that project and method and they will get a certain quantity of credits which farmer A can sell.

“ER can help you work out what method may be best.”