Explore Additional Features of Net Zero Cloud

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Discuss how Net Zero Cloud helps a company manage science-based targets and carbon emissions forecasts.
  
• Explain how Net Zero Cloud helps a company track suppliers’ sustainability performance.
  
• Outline how a company can use Net Zero Cloud to manage carbon credits and allocate them to carbon offset projects.
  
• List the out-of-the-box CRM Analytics dashboards available with Net Zero Cloud.
  

Set Targets and Make Forecasts

Now that Sam Rajan, chief sustainability officer at Northern Trail Outfitters (NTO), has figured out the carbon accounting process in Net Zero Cloud, it’s time to explore the other solution capabilities.

First, he investigates science-based targets. These targets provide companies with a clearly defined path to reduce emissions in line with a 1.5-degree Celsius trajectory, which is what science tells us is needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. To set a science-based target, Sam must submit a commitment letter to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) establishing NTO’s intent to create a target, and then develop a specific emissions reduction target plan in line with SBTi’s criteria.

Sam can use the Science-Based Targets feature to create and manage this commitment of 1.5-degrees Celsius temperature pathway, or he can commit to a company-level net zero pathway. For the company-level path, he sets the multiple emissions reduction targets required to achieve the commitment by calculating NTO’s base year greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory and then developing its yearly targets using that baseline as a reference point.

In this example, Sam creates a target to cut NTO’s Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions by 50% in the next 10 years from the base year of 2020. Additionally, NTO aims to use 100% renewable energy in its operations. All this will help NTO cut its emissions in half by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Next, Sam explores how Net Zero Cloud helps NTO plan for the future by focusing not just on current emissions but also on how they will trend over the next 10 to 15 years. He’s thrilled that he can generate effective and accurate emissions forecasts that help him take actions now to meet long-term targets.

Sam generates GHG emissions forecasts at the overall company level and for specific business activities, such as business travel or purchased electricity across all stationary assets. He uses business activity types to calculate the carbon inventory and then sets targets for each activity type, forecasts carbon emissions, and manages carbon offsets.

The best news is that Net Zero Cloud comes with a default forecast set with predefined forecast measures, dimensions, formulas, and inputs. The calculation logic can be customized according to business requirements. Net Zero Cloud also supports the import of forecast data from a CSV file. The CSV import feature is a time saver for Sam as he uses existing data that helps NTO move further down the pathway to net zero using science-based targets.

Engage with Suppliers

Understanding Scope 3 emissions can help NTO plan for potential regulations and can also guide corporate procurement decisions and product design. To build a more accurate Scope 3 carbon footprint, NTO needs to track emissions from its suppliers. To do this, Sam first calculates NTO’s Scope 3 emissions from procurement entries using the Scope 3 Hub. This gives him a stack rank of the suppliers that have the biggest impact.

He uses the extra horsepower of Salesforce’s External Engagement Management add-on to collaborate with suppliers and collect GHG emissions data from them. Using supplier scorecards in the supplier data model, Sam can track the supplier’s sustainability metrics and commitments at scale. This includes supplier reporting maturity, reported carbon data, and the suppliers’ own science-based targets.

This information helps Sam evaluate how much of NTO’s total carbon footprint is the result of emissions from within its supply chain. Sam now has the necessary data to work with specific suppliers to reduce emissions, make better purchasing decisions, and manage renewable energy and carbon credits to bring NTO to net zero.

Manage and Allocate Carbon Credits

Sam has led several strategic measures to reduce NTO’s carbon emissions. NTO is doing everything it can to reduce emissions. But because some emissions are unavoidable in the short-term, Sam plans to compensate for those emissions with carbon credits. He scours the internet to learn more about carbon projects and where to purchase carbon credits for NTO.

With Net Zero Cloud, Sam can easily manage NTO’s carbon credits. Using the built-in workflow, Sam can manage and track the carbon credits and their distribution, and visualize the impact of the allocated carbon credits on net emissions.

Sam gains approval to purchase carbon credit for NTO at the start of next quarter. He’s looking forward to seeing the Total Emissions bar chart shrink as he allocates the credits!

Gain Insights with CRM Analytics

Net Zero Cloud comes integrated with CRM Analytics that provides several prebuilt dashboards that summarize energy usage and carbon emissions. Executives can use these point-and-click dashboards to quickly visualize data, and gain critical insights into emissions and overall environmental impact metrics.

The table describes several standard dashboards.

Each of the dashboards contains a wealth of information. Some reveal high-level trends that are easy to see at a glance, while others show deeper insights as you scroll, hover, and click your way through the sample data analytics.

Onward and Upward

As you can see, NTO is well along on its journey to reach net zero faster. Companies can join NTO in using Net Zero Cloud to quickly measure their environmental impact, report findings to key stakeholders such as executives and auditors, and track environmental impact year over year.

Resources

• Salesforce Help: Manage Scope 3 Value Chain Data
• Science Based Targets Initiative: SBTi Homepage