Drawing up an action plan

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This guidance is based on content analysis of different reference documents, field experience of organizations and contributions of  participants in the GHG Emissions Assessment  Working Group (GEA WG) of ADEME.

This document is about action plans for reducing direct  (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2 et 3) GHG emissions associated to an organization's activities. «Carbon offset» action type is outside the scope of this guide.

This documents focus on GHG emissions. Organizations are encouraged to consider the impacts associated with their activities and if necessary, match their management with the impact of their own GHG emissions.

This document is intended for organizations with the following profile:

• Organization having assessing their GHG emissions and that want to implement an action plan for reducing them;
• Organizations that have not assessed their GHG emissions, but that want even so, to implement an action plan for reducing them.

Principle

Even if carrying out a GHG assessment is a vital stage in knowing what emissions are associated with your organization's activity, it is by no means an end in itself!

Accounting for GHG emissions in your organization makes it possible to identify the sources for which the activity may have room to maneuver in order to come up with adapted reduction plans.

The implementation of reduction action plans may take several forms:

• Rethinking your production modes;
• Changing your behavior;
• Reviewing elements strategic to the activity (marketing, customer priorities, etc.);
• Etc.

Reminder: There are three principal emission scopes (scopes 1, 2 and 3) which are in turn divided up into 24 subcategories.

The following tables enable you to access action paths, subcategory by subcategory.

Direct GHG emissions

Direct emissions emanating from stationary or mobile installations situated within the organizational boundary, e.g.: emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organization, such as the combustion of stationary and mobile sources, industrial processes excluding combustion, emissions from ruminants, biogas from landfill centers, refrigerant leakages, nitrogenous fertilizers, biomass, etc.

Indirect energy emissions

Indirect emissions associated with the production of electricity, heat or steam purchased for the activities of the organization.

Other indirect emissions

Tthe other emissions indirectly produced by the activities of the organization which are not accounted for under Scope 2 but which are linked to the overall value chain, such as: the purchasing of raw materials, services or other products; employee travel; upstream and downstream transportation of goods; the management of waste generated by the activities of the organization; the use and end-of-life of sold products and services; the amortization of production goods and equipment, etc.