Scope of Influence
Emission sources associated with our Scope ‘i’ greatly surpass our own corporate emissions, with greater social and environmental costs than our own operations. While we will not directly quantify capture or report these emissions, we cannot ignore them. Carbon emissions across our Scope ‘i’ can consume resources on a large scale (Natural, Material and Human), therefore it is essential that we work with industry partners and stakeholders to reduce these emission sources and aid in meeting Scotland’s 2045 GHG targets.
Scope ‘i’ emissions are too complex to generalise. Our network of partners and stakeholders have different operational purposes, with supply chain demands varying widely between organisations, companies, products, and processes.
To fully understand the level of influence we have over emissions associated with our Scope ‘i’, it will be essential to examine and understand these sources. This will require engagement across the agency, undertaking a form of audit.
This understanding will enable key decision makers to specify, through the development of business cases, procurement practices, contracts and engagement, the expectations of TS, and to consider efficiencies that could be implemented in the journey towards a Net Zero world. While quantifying emissions associated with our Scope ‘i’ will not be a priority in all cases, it will provide qualitative data on our influence which we will report in the “wider influence” section of our annual mandatory Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Report.
Addressing Scope ‘i’ will be challenging, particularly as features of these emission sources may not fall within our partners’ own Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, with elements outsourced. This may require additional consideration, with carbon transparency a requirement for extended supply chains. By engaging with our partners, stakeholders, and supply chains to emphasise the importance of carbon transparency and potential carbon reductions throughout all processes, it will enable them to address perhaps some of the more difficult emissions sources.
Baseline and Current Footprint
Our baseline was derived from the rich datasets that we have collected since we published our first CMP, however we established our current baseline during the financial year 2015/16, following a re-baselining process. Given the variation between emission sources, we initially set two separate baselines specific for these emission sources. Table 3 provides the baseline data for our Corporate Carbon Footprint.
| Metric | Network Energy | Operational Carbon Footprint | Combined Baseline |
|---|---|---|---|
| tCO2e | 20,847 | 1,375 | 22,222 |
As noted in the review of CMP v3, our emissions have reduced significantly since establishing our baseline and the plans completion in 2019/20. Equally, with data collection methods having improved since establishing our baseline, we have additional emission sources which were not captured as part of the combined baseline. We have taken the decision to add these emissions to our current carbon footprint, rather than undertake another baselining exercise, as this would limit our ability to show progress over a number of years. Emission performance will be measured against the combined baseline called our corporate carbon footprint, with 2021/22 emissions captured in Table 4 below. Appendix A shows a more detailed breakdown of emissions for 2021/22.
| Metric | 2021/22 Corporate Carbon Footprint |
|---|---|
| tCO2e | 5,795 |
A detailed breakdown of emissions sources can be found in Annex A.
Data
The data sources used to calculate both our baseline and annual emissions are based on data provided by both internal and external partners. Sources include our building agent and facilities management contractors, Scottish Government travel agent and hire car providers, and our own commute to work survey. REA’s energy data is sourced from a combination of metered and unmetered assets on the TRN, with data provided from our energy suppliers to our Network Operations Team. Data is converted into a CO2e tonne equivalent using the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Government conversion factors for company reporting of GHGs.
Business as Usual (BAU) and Value at Stake (VAS)
Due to the fluctuating nature of our corporate operations, analysis of projected emissions and the expected impact, a BAU figure is not considered relevant or particularly helpful. Likewise providing a breakdown of the Value at Stake is not practicable or feasible; this is the cost to Transport Scotland if no action is taken to invest in carbon saving measures.