If you've recently received a request from a customer, supplier, or investor asking for your business's emissions data, you're not alone. Across Ireland and the UK, small and medium-sized businesses are increasingly finding themselves on the receiving end of sustainability questionnaires, carbon disclosure forms, and supply chain emissions requests.

It can feel overwhelming — especially if you've never tracked your emissions before. But understanding why you're being asked is the first step to knowing what to do about it.

The Short Answer: Your Emissions Are Part of Someone Else's Footprint

When a larger business or organisation measures its carbon footprint, it doesn't just count the emissions from its own buildings and vehicles. Under internationally recognised frameworks like the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, companies are required to account for Scope 3 emissions — the indirect emissions that occur across their entire value chain.

That includes the emissions generated by the suppliers they buy from.

In other words, your carbon footprint is potentially a line item in their carbon report. And if they're being held to emissions targets — by regulators, investors, or their own customers — they need accurate data from you to meet those targets.

Why Is This Happening Now?

Several converging forces are driving this shift, and they're only going to intensify.

1. Regulatory Pressure Is Increasing

The EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) now requires thousands of large companies operating in Europe to report detailed sustainability data, including Scope 3 supply chain emissions. While SMEs are not directly subject to CSRD requirements (at least not yet), they are indirectly affected because their large business customers are.

The Irish government's Climate Action Plan sets binding targets for emissions reductions across all sectors of the economy. As those targets tighten, the pressure to track and disclose emissions cascades down through supply chains.

2. Investors and Lenders Are Asking Questions

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria are now a standard part of investment and lending decisions. Banks, pension funds, and private equity firms are scrutinising the carbon risk of the businesses they back. If your company is part of a supply chain for a larger business that is investor-scrutinised, your emissions data may be requested as part of that process.

3. Large Businesses Are Setting Net Zero Targets

Many of Ireland's and Europe's largest employers and buyers have committed to reaching net zero emissions — often by 2030 or 2040. To get there, they need their suppliers to reduce emissions too. Collecting baseline data from suppliers like you is typically the first step in that process.

4. Procurement Policies Are Changing

More and more, sustainability credentials are becoming part of tender requirements and supplier approval processes. Businesses that can demonstrate they understand and manage their carbon footprint are increasingly favoured over those that cannot.

What Kind of Emissions Data Are They Looking For?

The most common requests you'll receive will relate to one or more of the following:

Scope 1 Emissions — Direct emissions from sources your business owns or controls. This includes fuel burned in your vehicles, gas used in your boilers, and any on-site industrial processes.

Scope 2 Emissions — Indirect emissions from purchased energy, most commonly electricity. Even if your electricity comes from the grid, it has an associated carbon footprint based on the mix of generation sources used.

Scope 3 Emissions — All other indirect emissions across your value chain, including business travel, waste, purchased goods and services, and the use of products you sell.

For most SMEs, requests will initially focus on Scope 1 and Scope 2, as these are the most straightforward to calculate and verify.

Do You Have to Respond?

Technically, no legal obligation currently compels most Irish SMEs to disclose their emissions to a customer or supplier. However, the practical consequences of not responding can be significant:

You may be deprioritised or removed as a supplier in favour of businesses that do provide data

You may find it harder to win contracts in sectors that have adopted sustainability procurement criteria

You risk being caught off guard as regulations evolve — the CSRD is expected to extend its scope to smaller businesses in the coming years

Think of it less as a legal requirement and more as an emerging business necessity.

What Should You Do Next?

If you've received a request for your emissions data and you're not sure where to start, the process is more manageable than it might seem.

Step 1: Understand what you're being asked for. Read the request carefully. Is it asking for a general estimate or a formally calculated and verified figure? Many initial requests simply require a good-faith effort to measure and report your emissions.

Step 2: Gather your energy and fuel data. Your electricity bills, gas bills, and fuel receipts contain the raw data needed to calculate your Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Most calculations start here.

Step 3: Use a carbon accounting tool. Manually calculating emissions from raw energy data using government emissions factors is time-consuming and error-prone. Carbon accounting software like Emerald Power's platform is designed to do this accurately and efficiently, giving you a reliable, auditable figure you can report with confidence.

Step 4: Report and save your data. Store your emissions records year on year. Having historical data allows you to track progress, demonstrate reduction efforts, and respond quickly to future requests.

Getting Ahead of the Curve

Businesses that start measuring their emissions now will be better positioned than those who wait until it becomes mandatory. Beyond compliance, understanding your carbon footprint can reveal opportunities to reduce energy costs, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen your position in an increasingly sustainability-conscious market.

Emerald Power's carbon accounting software is built for SMEs — straightforward to use, no sustainability expertise required, and designed to produce the kind of clear, verifiable output that your customers, investors, and partners are looking for.