Why are we conducting an employee emissions survey?
As a remote-first organisation, a significant proportion of our carbon footprint falls within Scope 3 emissions, or emissions which are not produced directly by the organisation but are a consequence of our activities. In our case, employee-related emissions from commuting and teleworking are one of the largest contributors to our overall footprint.
Commuting and Teleworking emissions make up almost 25% of our entire footprint.
To progress meaningfully towards our net zero target, we must address emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. While Scopes 1 and 2 (direct emissions and those from purchased energy) are relatively straightforward to quantify, Scope 3 requires a more granular understanding of employee behaviours and contexts.
To reduce these emissions and track progress towards our targets, we need to first measure and track them with primary data, rather than relying on UK-average conversion factors and rough assumptions.
This survey aims to collect primary data on homeworking energy usage and commuting patterns. Your participation is vital in improving the accuracy of our emissions baseline and enabling evidence-based policy development that aligns with our environmental commitments.
How are these emissions currently tracked?
At present, our estimation of homeworking emissions relies on a single, generalised factor provided by the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). This factor represents an average increase in residential energy consumption associated with homeworking, covering heating and electricity use. For commuting, we were able to collect some primary data from a previous survey, but the response rate was low, forcing us to resort to UK averages for commuting distance, mode, and WFH rate.
While methodologically acceptable, these approaches are not as accurate as they could be, nor do they allow us to track whether or not our initiatives are successfully reducing emissions towards our targets.
How will we use this data?
All survey submissions are completely anonymous, and submissions will be aggreagted regardless. It will be used solely to improve the precision of our Scope 3 emissions calculations. A more accurate baseline will enable us to:
1) Develop policies that are better informed and contextually appropriate.
2) Identify where organisational support (e.g., guidance or incentives) may reduce emissions effectively.
3) Effectively track progress towards our net-zero target.
We are committed to safeguarding your privacy, and all responses will be handled in accordance with our data protection policy.
Your response to this survey is completely anonymous.