Carbon Accounting for Retail
Retailers face carbon pressure from supply chains, logistics and store operations. EcoHedge helps retail businesses measure and report their carbon footprint from financial data.
Carbon Reporting in Retail: From Supply Chain to Shopfront
Retail carbon footprints are dominated by the supply chain. The products you buy, the packaging they come in, and the logistics to move them represent the vast majority of a retailer's emissions.
Consumer awareness is driving transparency demands. Customers increasingly want to know the environmental impact of the products they buy and the companies they support.
Larger retail chains are cascading carbon requirements down to smaller suppliers and concessionaires. If you sell through retail channels, your carbon data may become a commercial requirement.
Key regulations and drivers
Typical emission sources in retail
Direct emissions
- Delivery vehicles
- Refrigeration (if applicable)
- On-site heating
Purchased energy
- Store electricity
- Warehouse electricity
- Office energy
Value chain
- Purchased goods for resale
- Packaging
- Inbound logistics
- Online delivery
- Customer returns
How EcoHedge helps retail businesses
Product Carbon Data
Calculate the carbon intensity of your purchased goods from supplier spend data. Understand which product categories drive the most emissions.
Packaging and Logistics
Track packaging and logistics emissions from your purchase orders and freight invoices.
Store Operations
Calculate store-level emissions from energy data and operational expenses.
Example: An online retailer with £2m turnover
An ecommerce retailer connected their Xero account and discovered that product sourcing from overseas suppliers accounted for 58% of their footprint, with packaging adding another 15%. They switched to a UK supplier for key product lines and reduced packaging weight, cutting emissions by 20%.
Related reading
See your retail carbon footprint
From supply chain to store operations, all calculated from your financial data.
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