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How ISO 14064 boosts the credibility of your carbon footprint

Reducing our carbon footprint has become a priority. For organizations, it's not only an environmental issue, but also a strategic one. Taking action on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions means meeting customer expectations, complying with new regulations, and boosting competitiveness.

More and more organizations are carrying out carbon audits. But without a clear methodology, the results often lack rigor. The absence of a recognized framework undermines transparency, data verification and, consequently, the credibility of the report.

This is where ISO 14064 comes in. This international standard provides precise guidelines for quantifying, tracking and reporting greenhouse gas emissions. It is aligned with the GHG Protocol, the global benchmark for GHG reporting.

Relying onISO 14064 means structuring your climate approach. It's also a way of showcasing efforts to reduce emissions, particularly in terms of purchasing, products and energy.

In this article, we discover how ISO 14064 reinforces the credibility of your GHG balance sheet, in line with GHG Protocol best practices, and how it can be integrated into a sustainable and verifiable low-carbon strategy, while improving your level of environmental management.

 3 Contents

ISO 14064: a methodological foundation for a robust carbon footprint

📚 An ISO standard aligned with international standards

The ISO 14064 standard has become the benchmark for structuring a reliable, recognized balance sheet. It is aligned with major international methodologies, notably the GHG Protocol and ADEME's Bilan Carbone® method. Together, they provide a common structure for quantifying an organization's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissionswhile ensuring compatibility with regulatory requirements and market expectations. For example, according to the GHG Protocol, over 90% of the world's large companies use cand this methodological basis for their GHG inventories. In France, ADEME stresses the importance of ISO-compliant reporting to improve comparability of results.

📊 Identifying all sources of emissions: the challenge of traceability

ISO 14064 requires a complete mapping of emissions sources through rigorous quantification. It distinguishes between direct emissions (scope 1), energy-related emissions (scope 2), and above all indirect emissions (scope 3), which often account for the largest share of an organization's carbon footprint.

According to Amundi Investissement Solutions, scope 3 represents on average 75% to 90% of emissions for the industrial and service sectors. This includes purchasing, products, transport, use and end-of-life. Lifecycle analysis therefore becomes essential for measuring overall impact, with systematic verification of information.

With this in mind, certain platforms, such as GCI's, make it possible to simplify scope 3 data collection by directly integrating precise emissions factors. This is notably the case with the Decarbo'Supply® module, which is based on the My-PCF® (Product Carbon Footprint) and My-FEMPP® (Customized Monetary Emissions Factors) tools. These calculators make it easy to obtain reliable carbon measurements directly from suppliers, supporting optimized management and paving the way for eventual certification.

🧾 Verification and audibility: strengthening balance sheet credibility

A good balance sheet is not limited to measuring : it must also be verifiable. This is why theISO 14064 encourages validation of declarations GES by an independent third party. This approach reinforces the reliability of the balance sheet, particularly in the context of an audit, extra-financial reporting (such as CSRD) or a call for tenders. According to PwC France (December 2023), 47% of organizations consider ESG data quality to be a major challengeand 78% continue to use spreadsheets to track their emissions - an unreliable mode for a carbon footprint rigorous.

How to sustain and strengthen your business through a successful low-carbon trajectory.

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Turning carbon measurement into strategy

🎯 From photo to film: building a low-carbon trajectory

A GHG balanceNo matter how accurate, it's still a snapshot in time. To make progress, a company needs to turn this measure into an action plan. This is what the ISO 14064 the measure into a logic of lower emissions. This means setting a low-carbon trajectory define progressive objectives, evaluate the efforts required, and align its methodology with benchmarks such as the SBTi (Science-Based Targets) or SNBC. 📌 Example According to ADEME, companies in the tertiary sector can reduce their energy consumption by up to 50% of their final energy consumption by implementing a structured plan combining sobriety, energy efficiency and renewable energies.

🤝 Involve the entire ecosystem in the process

Indirect emissions depend largely on the ecosystem: suppliers, partners, subsidiaries... To be effective, the low-carbon strategy must include them.

ISO 14064 recommends mobilizing all stakeholders around reduction targets. This requires better knowledge of thecarbon footprint of the products and services used, as well as collaborative tools.

Some solutions offer simplified access for suppliers, with integrated calculators, such as My-PCF®, which enables them to estimate their emissions free of charge according to the ISO 14067 standard. This information can then be integrated directly into the client's GHG balance sheet. This isalso made possible by the Decarbo'Supply® brick,which promotes transparency and joint reduction of emissions.

📌 Example: according to GCI, companies that have mobilized their suppliers in the Supplier'Connect® approach have reduced uncertainty on their scope 3 from 50% to less than 10%.

📈 Measure results and adjust strategy on an ongoing basis

An effective low-carbon trajectory requires control. L'ISO 14064 insists on the importance of monitoring results over time, adjusting action plans, and ensuring a continuous regular communication. A number of digital solutions now make it possible to track carbon indicators like tracking financial indicators. The Decarbo'Target® integrates this logic: it allows you to visualize any discrepancies between the actual trajectory and the initial objectives, and to revise the action plan if necessary. Results can be broken down by site, activity or purchasing category. Chis enhances the accuracy of reporting and the company's ability to react. 📌 Example: in the retail sector, the introduction of monthly carbon tracking has enabled a French chain to reduce emissions by 15% over two years(source: PwC & Orée study, 2023).

Towards verifiable carbon competitiveness

💼 Carbon footprint: a performance and image criterion

Reducing our carbon footprint is not just an environmental obligation. It's also an opportunity to improve the company's overall performance. Today, greenhouse gas emissions become an evaluation criterion in calls for tender. Public and private purchasers are increasingly demanding verifiable carbon data. Displaying a clear, structured balance sheet, based on an ISO standard, is a competitive advantage. Some companies go one step further by promoting environmental performance of their products. Thanks to the calculation of a PCF (Product Carbon Footprint) in accordance withISO 14067They can prove the low-carbon quality of their offer. 📌 For example, in the construction sector, a manufacturer that included carbon data in its technical data sheets saw its selection rate rise from 27% over 12 months (source: ADEME).

🛒 Deploy responsible purchasing policies aligned with ISO

To reduce its indirect emissions, a company needs to take a close look at what it buys. Decarbonizing purchasing is one of the most powerful levers. Productlifecycle analysis often reveals hidden emissions in the value chain.

With the right tools, it is possible tointegrate carbon data into calls for tender and select the most virtuous suppliers. This is made possible by an approach such as that proposed by Decarbo'Tender®, which introduces a clear, traceable carbon criterion compatible with ISO standards.

This method promotes positive carbon discrimination: it encourages suppliers to reduce their own footprint, creating a virtuous circle.

📌 According to GCI, integrating the PCF criterion into calls for tender results in an average 12-20% reduction in emissions associated with purchasing, in less than two years.

✅ Certification, transparency and regulatory compliance

A GHG balance aligned with ISO 14064 is not only more credible. It is also better equipped to meet the demands of extra-financial reporting (e.g. CSRD, green taxonomy, ESG criteria). The ability to have results verified and certified by a third party is an asset when dealing with investors, customers and regulators. It's also a way of preparing for the rise of the carbon taxeslike the border carbon tax or the emission quotas. With greater control over its product carbon footprintIn this way, a company can anticipate future costs and reduce its exposure.

Faced with the climate emergency and growing expectations in terms of transparency, organizations no longer have a choice: they have to measure, reduce and prove their greenhouse gas emissions.

Carrying out a GHG assessment is the first step. But it's only useful if the approach is based on a recognized standard, such asISO 14064, and on precise, verifiable information aligned with best practices such as the GHG Protocol.

This standard allows us to go even further: to structure data through rigorous quantification, to clarify sources of emissions, to manage consistent reduction and to involve the entire value chain in ambitious climate projects.

Tools exist to support this transformation. Without naming them in a commercial way, we can remind you that it is now possible to :

Simulate a low-carbon trajectory in line with international standards,
Integrate verified carbon data into purchasing processes,
Engage suppliers via a platform dedicated to collecting and reducing indirect emissions.

By combining the rigor ofISO 14064 with concrete operational solutions,companies not only strengthen their carbon credibility, but also their competitiveness in a changing market, while optimizing their key activities.