While it was always going to be an imperfect measure, due to the limited scope of the metrics available for such a diverse range of participants, the league table is a good indicator of those organisations that have taken steps to manage their carbon.
It also creates a solid base for understanding, with actual data, what the emissions are for this middle tier of emitters which have rarely been examined before. It gives us a benchmark against which to measure future carbon usage.
Another indication the table gives is that government coffers stand to gain approximately £734m from the CRC’s carbon levy - averaging £349,000 per CRC participant - that will be collected at some point after next March. This is based on £12 per tonne of carbon and assumes a constant usage.
As well as absorbing the financial implications of the CRC, I expect many organisations will begin a process of peer comparisons as a result of the league table publication.
Whether this stimulates the desired action remains to be seen, but we’ve certainly seen some participants already responding to the financial impacts of the scheme and we’d expect the reputational impact, at least in the board room, to also be a motivator for some participants.
I’m pleased that, at 99 out of 2700, KPMG was the highest placed accounting firm and one of the highest placed professional services firms.
The league table can be viewed by following the link below:
CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme league table
