You have calculated your company’s emissions through a carbon footprint project? That is an essential first step. Communicating those results clearly and transparently to your shareholders is important to drive collective effort towards global decarbonization. This is article will give you a few guidelines to avoid any greenwashing traps and communicate on your decarbonization path in the best way possible.
Starting with the basics, it is important to explain your methodological approach:
What exactly did you calculate?
What reporting boundary did you choose?
What methods and assumptions were used?
We also encourage you to present your main emission sources to provide a clear view of your carbon profile. To go further, you can share your areas for improvement:
How do you plan to refine or improve your calculation in the future?
What concrete actions are you planning to reduce your emissions?
Communicating your results in a clear and accessible way demonstrates your commitment and places your approach within a framework of transparency and continuous progress.
As Carbometrix is a signatory of the ABC Charter (Association pour la transition Bas Carbone), we are fully aligned with the recommendations provided in this guide, written by ADEME (short for Agence de la Transition Écologique) the French agency for ecological transition.
Why communicate your carbon footprint?
Transparency and credibility with your stakeholders (clients, investors, partners, employees).
Strengthen your CSR / climate commitment.
Measure and track progress for an effective decarbonization strategy.
Anticipate regulatory expectations and non-financial reporting standards.
To whom should you communicate your results?
Target Audience | Communication Objective |
👥 Clients / Prospects | Showcase your initiatives, build trust |
📈 Investors / Shareholders | Demonstrate solid climate governance |
👨💼 Partners / Suppliers | Encourage emission reductions across the value chain |
🧑💻 Internal Teams | Mobilize around common goals to support active engagement |
🌐 General Public | Strengthen your brand image and commitment |
Where to communicate your carbon results?
Website – dedicated CSR / Climate / Environmental page
Annual Report – Extra-financial / ESG reports
Third-party platforms – ADEME (if you completed a BEGES), CDP for the GHG Protocol, etc.
LinkedIn / Social Media
💡 Tip: Choose the right channels based on your audience and desired reach.
What to communicate?
Option 1: Full transparency of all results
✔️ Timeframe and organizational boundary (e.g., if you excluded specific group entities, it is important to mention it).
✔️ Methodology used (GHG Protocol, BEGES) and the source of activity data.
✔️ Scope coverage: Explicitly state if your footprint covers all 3 Scopes.
✔️ Results by Scope and intensity ratios if available (e.g., tCO2e/FTE, tCO2e/M€ of revenue, tCO2e/unit sold).
✔️ Data quality score and planned improvements for coming years.
✔️ Comparison with previous years (if available).
✔️ [Optional] Decarbonization targets.
The deliverables provided by Carbometrix allow you to address all these points. They help you present your results in a clear, structured, and transparent way, detailing your methodology, analysis boundary, main emission sources, and improvement plans.
👉 SBTi Engagement: If you are committed to SBTi with an officially validated target, you must communicate your carbon footprint results annually. You are also expected to present actions implemented and planned to demonstrate progress toward your goals.
👉 Regulatory Requirements (France): Companies subject to the mandatory BEGES (notably those with over 500 employees) must publish their results on the Ademe platform. They must also include a transition plan detailing planned reduction actions.
Option 2: Lighter communication
If you prefer not to disclose sensitive or highly detailed information, you can opt for a more concise summary. You can share only the global results and a few key indicators to offer an overview of your emissions.
✔️ Timeframe and organizational boundary.
✔️ Methodology used (GHG Protocol, BEGES).
✔️ Scope coverage (mentioning Scopes 1, 2, and 3).
✔️ Relevant ratios (per unit of activity, revenue, employee, etc.).
✔️ Data quality score and future improvements.
What about decarbonization targets:
To build a credible and robust climate strategy, it is essential to rely on recognized frameworks aligned with the Paris Agreement (SBTi, NZIF, ACT, etc.). If you wish to communicate on the decarbonization targets you have set, we strongly encourage you to:
✔ Present your climate targets (short, medium, and long term).
✔ Present implemented or future actions to reach these targets.
❌ Avoid vague figures or greenwashing (e.g., "reducing by 50% by 2030" without a scientific basis).
👉 If you have any doubt on the wording to choose, free to consult our Carbon Accounting Glossary.
Examples of non-compliance or practices to avoid
The "Complexity Trap"
❌ Don't: Using overly complex terms without explanation: "Our organization has defined a Net-zero target for 2050 according to the SBTi standard."
✅ Best Practice: "Our organization has defined a Net-zero target for 2050 according to the SBTi standard. To achieve this, we have set a short-term target of 42.6% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 by 2031 and a 35% reduction per unit sold. We must significantly reduce our emissions to reach our 'residual' level—the minimum emissions without which our activity is not possible."
The "minor victory" bias
❌ Don't: Presenting a reduction in a non-significant area as a major win: "We have reduced our energy consumption emissions by 80% since 2021."
✅ Best Practice: "We have reduced our energy-related emissions by 80%, limiting our energy vulnerability. However, the road to our targets remains long, particularly regarding our purchases, which remain our primary emission source."
The "conclusion" fallacy
❌ Don't: Presenting a result as a final success without future targets: "We are delighted to announce that our carbon footprint per employee is 1.2 tCO₂e, compared to the consulting industry average of 1.7 tCO₂e!"
✅ Best Practice: "Our carbon footprint per employee is 1.2 tCO₂e (vs. 1.7 tCO₂e for the sector), but we aim to strengthen our leadership by targeting 0.6 tCO₂e per employee by 2035 through our transition plan. This 50% reduction aligns with a 1.5°C trajectory."