The first step in greenhouse gas emissions reporting is identifying your business’s key emission sources. Start by reviewing the bills and records for resources your business uses regularly—these often reveal significant emission contributors. Electricity usage, fuel for vehicles or equipment, water consumption, waste disposal, and office supplies like paper are common sources. By mapping these activities to their respective emissions, businesses can pinpoint where their greatest impacts lie, forming a solid foundation for accurate and comprehensive reporting.

If you're unsure where to start, your financial records are a great place to look. Invoices for services and resources like electricity, fuel, waste disposal, paper, and any other items charged by quantity used are often linked to greenhouse gas emissions. For example, electricity bills reflect energy consumption, which directly ties to emissions from electricity generation. Similarly, fuel invoices represent the emissions from transport or equipment use. Keep in mind, though, that some services, like internet or phone data, don't directly correlate with your business's emissions—we'll cover that next!