6.3 - Renewal and continuous improvement

Why and how to continuously renew and improve the approach?

Source: Freepik

Renewal of the approach

The organisation improves its Bilan Carbone® approach from one year to the next, to progressively reach the higher maturity levels. When renewing it must:

• Choose a reference year to use when re-accounting GHG emissions. Update the reference emissions to allow a comparison between the reference assessment and the completed assessment and thus observe the evolution of GHG emissions.

• Rely on the process improvement actions from the previous year and deepen them to properly take existing conditions into account. For example, on data collection, focus the reduction of uncertainty on the emission categories it considers significant following recent assessments. More precise activity data and better emission factors will improve the quality of the assessment and ensure the relevance of the actions taken. The organisation can also improve the governance of the climate issue (governance, staff, etc.).

• Analyse and integrate the ongoing transition plan, or the one established during the last assessment, to ensure its continuity.

Requirements regarding the periodicity of the Bilan Carbone®

The organisation must anticipate the renewal of the approach. A Bilan Carbone® reaches its maximum effectiveness if the process is carried out annually. However, the organisation may follow a different rhythm depending on its level of maturity. The periodicity respects at minimum the following requirements:

Initial Level: criterion D1

The organization must anticipate the renewal of the process, which is carried out at least every 4 years for an Initial-level Carbon Assessment.

The organization must improve the management of the Carbon Assessment from one exercise to the next, in order to progressively reach higher maturity levels.

🔎 If the Carbon Assessment is used for BEGES-R, this periodicity coincides with that of the regulation for private law organizations. Point of attention for public law organizations for whom the renewal period is 3 years.

Standard Level: criterion D2

The organization must anticipate the renewal of the approach, which is carried out at least every 4 years for a Standard level Bilan Carbone®.

🔎 If the Carbon Assessment is used for BEGES-R, this periodicity coincides with that of the regulation for private law organizations. Point of attention for public law organizations for whom the renewal period is 3 years.

At the renewal of the full Bilan Carbone®, it is expected that a monitoring of indicators within a monitoring system (the most significant emissions and actions implemented in the transition plan) has been carried out at least between the base year and the renewal year.

It is recommended to monitor them more regularly to maintain the momentum of the action plan monitoring and the organisation's internal carbon competencies, thereby gaining efficiency at renewal.

Advanced Level: criterion D3

The organization's complete Carbon Assessment is renewed at least every year, but the largest emission categories and the actions undertaken in the transition plan can be monitored more regularly, whether monthly or semi-annually. A monitoring system facilitating the completion of the assessment, and the continuous monitoring of indicators related to the transition plan must exist, enabling the feeding and steering of the organization's overall strategy.

This allows maintaining the momentum of the action plan monitoring and the organisation's internal carbon competencies, thereby gaining efficiency during renewals.

Continuous improvement following the Bilan Carbone®

Once the Bilan Carbone® process is finalised (and between the renewal periods of the process), the organisation has several options to go further and improve its overall low-carbon transition approach:

• The implementation and management of the actions of the transition plan, as a priority.

• Theevaluation of the Bilan Carbone® : this voluntary approach makes it possible to verify and validate the consistency of the assessment and the relevance of the transition plan (additional documents must be added to the report to make the evaluation possible)

• Deepening its accounting approach, with various resources available, such as the GCP (General Carbon Plan), sectoral guides, among others process improvement actions of the approach.

• Prepare to reach a higher maturity level, at least on certain identified criteria. This increase in maturity is continuous and must be anticipated. It helps improve the decarbonisation and adaptation approach to guarantee the organisation's place in a future low-carbon world, notably through strategic reflections, analyses of risks and opportunities, etc.

• Engage in other methods or approaches: various methods complementary to the Bilan Carbone® exist, allowing to progress in its maturity journey.

• It will be necessary to assess oneself during the journey. For an Advanced maturity level, which drives the reduction of its emissions, the organisation should confront ACT Evaluation, to assess the credibility of the implementation of its climate strategy.

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