How Can FMs Tackle Scope 3 Emissions?

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• How Can FMs Tackle Scope 3 Emissions?

01 December 2021 | Updated 30 November 2021

The Sustainable Facilities Management Index has released the first part of an FM industry standardised approach to measuring carbon emissions.

This includes the full extent of emissions in the delivery of FM services, including scope 3 emissions.

It is aiming to support customers on their zero-carbon journey with data-backed evidence. 

The approach was released to the industry for public review via webinar on the 25 November, with a panel discussion that included BAM FM Managing Director; Louise Williamson, UK GBC Net Zero advisor, Karl Desai and SFMI programme director Chris Havers.

Setting the Foundations for Net-Zero

The report provides the business case, drivers, and the roadmap for the project with an understanding of how all categories of greenhouse gas accounting apply to FM functions and the services that a provider offers to clients.

It also provides detail into the data requirements needed to calculate the emissions.

One specific challenge will be how the goods procured by FM for the service delivery with clients are collected, converted to carbon allocated to emissions. It is expected that both the scope and the granularity of emissions reporting will develop over time and follows a maturity curve.

More advanced guidance will be released in early 2022 as the SFMI and BAM FM reveal further advanced guidance in the second report. 

The ambition of the project which extends beyond the two reports is to

1. Upskill the industry and measure the full impact of FM.
2. Align with customer emissions targets.
3. Exceed regulatory requirements. 
4. And develop the role of FM to influence the operational building phase through data back evidence.

This guidance framework is supported by associated industry bodies:  ACE, IEMA, IWFM and RICS, while being reviewed by workplace teams in major organisations such as Co-op and NatWest group and FM providers; Skanska and Mitie. Collaboration and industry acceptance of the approach is critical to ensure that the standard is adopted widely, which is why the SFMI is taking the opportunity to gain feedback from those who are reading the report to help to guide the approach and win industry support.

The report is available on the Acclaro Website here, with the associated feedback form. 

Picture: a photograph of a small white van, a person at the rear of the vehicle can be seen, standing with a pile of cardboard boxes. The person is wearing a face mask.

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 01 December 2021

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