Case study: Carbon emissions successfully scoped for mutual life company

  • 8,814 tonnes CO2e measured in scope 3
  • One Scope 3 baseline year agreed
  • 5 Years of Scope 3 data collected

Overview of the challenge

Our customer, one of the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment companies, has been on a mission since 2019, to collate, manage and target all of its sustainability data.

As part of its aim to set and reach net zero carbon targets, which include a reduction of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, the company had worked closely with Mitie on reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions (energy consumption). But it still needed to measure Scope 3 emissions (indirect value chain energy consumption), to set a baseline year, and create an ambitious net zero carbon target and reduction strategy.

Mitie was commissioned to measure and report on the company’s non-investment related Scope 3 emissions between 2016-2020.

Cargo ship in the sea
Our customer needed to measure Scope 3 emissions (indirect value chain energy consumption)

A collaborative and transparent approach

In an initial stakeholder meeting, Mitie’s team outlined the approach we would use to measure Scope 3 emissions. We worked closely with the customer to ensure all aspects of its value chain (excluding investments) were captured in our assessment. Over the 17-week programme, our consultants provided weekly updates and ran collaboration exercises to ensure our customer would get the maximum functionality from the report output.

Providing a robust understanding of Scope 3 emissions

The resulting report sparked conversations, around Scope 3, across the procurement and estates teams in the company. It has provided a robust understanding of Scope 3 and ongoing confidence in potentially amending the baseline, as data quality improves.

Our customer’s stakeholders, from the Group Chief Operations Director to its network of eco-ambassadors, have engaged with the process and the report. The company is taking positive action to reduce its Scope 3 emissions and can demonstrate its leadership in the quality and depth of its reporting.

As part of the ongoing work, Mitie has been commissioned to complete a Scope 3 2021 footprint, and conduct a Scope 1, 2 and 3 Net Zero Pathway Report, to help the customer develop a science-based net zero target.

Buildings with greenery and seating area in between
Mitie’s team had existing knowledge of the estate and operations of our customer through our IFM contract.

Why our customer chose Mitie

Mitie’s team had existing knowledge of the estate and operations through our contract. That meant the process was quicker and more accurate in terms of scoping and boundary setting of the value chain. The collaborative, transparent process between Mitie and the company ensured the stakeholders were comfortable with the approach and all data was of the highest quality.

Our customer has the ambition to be market-leading in carbon and sustainability reporting. It needed a specialist partner that knew Scope 3 reporting inside-out and could address the challenge professionally from the very beginning. Our work has enabled the company to be transparent about its data and methodology and has ensured its alignment with global standards, across its entire value chain.

Get in touch to find out more

If your organisation needs a Scope 3 emissions assessment and/or reduction strategy, using best practice methodologies that align with global standards, please contact Mitie’s Plan Zero team.

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