COMPLIANCE & CERTIFICATION

Without reliable climate-related financial information, markets cannot price climate-related risks and opportunities correctly and may face a rocky transition to a low-carbon economy.

The Financial Stability Board established the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) to develop disclosures that “could promote more informed investment, credit [or lending], and insurance underwriting decisions” which “would enable stakeholders to understand better the concentrations of carbon-related assets in the financial sector and the financial system’s exposures to climate-related risks.”

We help clients disclose their climate risk and opportunities, understand climate impacts on their business and bottom lines.

For additional information visit our TCFD website.

The Energy Savings and Opportunities Scheme (ESOS) requires companies to identify energy savings measures via mandatory energy audits. The scheme applies to large companies, and compliance is required every four years.

Our experienced Lead Assessors help you make sure compliance requirements are met. They can use data we’ve already collected if already a client.

We can provide a full set of energy audits across your estate, as well as providing advice on ISO 50001 as another way to achieve compliance. We manage data collection for you from your electricity and gas suppliers, and we’re there every four years, and in between, to help you comply.

CCAs are voluntary agreements available to specific industries in the UK. Sites that are eligible and sign up to a CCA benefit from a reduced Climate Change Levy (currently a reduction of 90% for electricity and 65% for gas) in return for committing to energy efficiency measures.

We familiarise ourselves with your processes, thus easing communication with sector associations. Our long-time experience means that we can consider the best route to obtain a CCA.

If you already have a CCA, we can provide ongoing management. We will ensure that all the relevant submissions are in place to maintain your CCL discount, and we track your progression against your targets.

In April 2019, the UK government introduced the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) scheme.

SECR replaces the CRC scheme. It impacts many more companies than CRC. Many of these will not previously have had to publicly report their energy use and GHG emissions.

SECR applies to all UK quoted companies, and qualifying unquoted companies. An unquoted company qualifies if it meets at least two of the following three thresholds:

• 250 employees or more
• £36 million in annual turnover or more
• £18 in annual balance sheet total or more

SECR requires quoted companies to report their global Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions, and the energy consumption that underlies those emissions. They must also report what share the UK has in those global figures. Unquoted companies must report as a minimum their UK energy consumption related to electricity, gas, and transport, and the Scoped emissions associated with those energy streams.

Alfa Energy’s Sustainability Analysts offer a compliance service for SECR. The service is intended to produce a report that can be inserted into the Directors’ Report as simply as possible. The process can be supported by Alfa Energy’s VISION energy management portal.

The EU carbon market can be a complex and complicated area to fully understand. Short-term carbon prices are driven by factors such as energy commodity prices, weather, policy, and economic news. Having a basic understanding of the different prices drivers, policy changes. and market behaviour are important when developing your trading strategy.

Our compliance and trading services can help clients to understand the carbon market, develop an appropriate trading strategy, and set up the necessary trading relationships to execute spot transactions of EU Allowances (EUAS)and/or CERs in the EU carbon market.

We keep clients up to date with EU ETS policy, provide appropriate advice, and develop straightforward solutions to managing compliance trading, leaving you to focus on your core business.

More commonly referred to as GHG Reporting, Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting allows greater scrutiny of corporate environmental and sustainability performance, providing transparency for investors, customers, and other stakeholders. It is also an opportunity for companies leading the way to promote their credentials in this increasingly important differentiator.

All UK quoted companies are required to report on their greenhouse gas emissions in the Director’s Report of the company annual report.

Our sustainability experts support clients with all mandatory GHG reporting requirements and can support your company to advance in promoting sustainable business performance and growth.

ISO 50001 is a voluntary energy management standard that provides a framework to manage and improve energy consumption.

We provide a range of services to support the route to ISO 50001 accreditation.

Through the implementation of ISO 50001, we ascertain where you can reduce energy use. Our consultants will assist you with energy audits and internal audits of your ISO 50001 procedure, as well as with implementation and use workshops to encourage staff engagement.

ISO 50001 audits can be used for ESOS compliance, replacing the need for ESOS audits for specific emissions covered by this international standard. Our VISION platform can meet the energy monitoring requirements of ISO 50001.

ISO 14001 is the international standard for establishing and operating a recognised Environmental Management System (EMS). We work with clients to establish a framework compliant with the standard to achieve and maintain certification.

Establishing the standard within organisations, we help clients improve environmental performance through more efficient use of resources, reduced waste, and enhancing investor and other stakeholder relations.

We work with clients to check eligibility for EII (Energy Intensive Industry) and Min/Met (Mineralogical or Metallurgical processes) exemptions to reduce cost to businesses.

Companies meeting energy-intensive criteria may be eligible for Renewables Obligation (RO), Contracts for Difference (CfD), and Feed-in Tariff (FiT) discount (85%). Those eligible for the Min/Met scheme can achieve CCL relief.

On establishing eligibility, we work with clients to implement exemptions, reporting on monthly and quarterly savings, as well as working with you to maintain exemptions.

Many compliance and certification schemes require energy and carbon auditing to scope requirements, confirm eligibility, and identify or evidence opportunities to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Additionally, auditing can be required to evidence ongoing compliance with scheme measures and requirements once established.

Our carbon and sustainability audit services support all compliance and certification services we offer.

For meeting broader energy and sustainability requirements, see our Carbon and Sustainability Audits detailed under Sustainability Consulting.

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a theoretical prediction of how energy-efficient any building could be. If you’re selling or renting business premises in England and Wales, you will need an EPC. These energy performance certifications rate how energy-efficient your commercial building is from A to G.

A DEC shows the energy performance of a building based on actual consumption as recorded annually and is required by owners of public buildings. Their purpose is to raise public awareness of energy use in buildings occupied by a public authority.

Our accredited energy assessors can produce a DEC and advisory report for public buildings or an EPC together with a recommendation report (RR) for commercial properties.

To ensure compliance and avoid fines, contact our carbon compliance team to understand your obligations and how we can assist with compliance and certification.