Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
These are the questions we hear a lot, and you’ll find the answers below. But if you have others, please don’t hesitate to contact us — we’re here to help.
Net Zero Cloud
Net Zero Cloud is a complete ESG management platform, built on the world’s #1 AI CRM. It leverages the full power of the Salesforce ecosystem by pulling an organisation’s environmental, social, and governance data into one place and creating actionable insights to guide strategic decisions. Net Zero Cloud aligns to the latest regulatory standards, offering framework-specific report builders as new mandates are released. It uses Einstein AI to automate ESG reporting, integrating with other applications, finding relevant metrics, and generating report responses, ultimately increasing efficiency and accuracy. With Net Zero Cloud, organisations can drive sustainable, equitable transformation for all stakeholders.
Net Zero Cloud is for all enterprises that have a mission and a responsibility to go net zero in the near future. Organisations in all stages of their sustainability journey can use Net Zero Cloud for everything from calculating an organisation’s carbon footprint to developing emission reduction strategies and reporting environmental, social, and governance metrics to key stakeholders. Organisations in all industries and around the world will increasingly be required to report on and be accountable for their ESG metrics. Net Zero Cloud aims to help them be compliant with these ongoing regulations as well as achieve real impact for business, people, and the planet.
Net Zero Cloud is a complete ESG management platform. It has robust environmental capabilities, spanning scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon emissions, plus supplier engagement, carbon conversions, and waste and water management. It also incorporates social and governance metrics.
Yes. Organisations can track metrics from their entire value chain, including those from suppliers, distributors, subsidiaries, portfolios, and franchisees — all directly in the Salesforce Net Zero Cloud platform.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, established in 2001, divides emissions into three reporting categories.
Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse emissions from sources controlled or owned by an organisation, such as emissions associated with fuel combustion in boilers, furnaces, and vehicles.
Scope 2 covers indirect emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling.
Scope 3, also known as value chain emissions, has been the last frontier for most companies looking to shrink their carbon footprint. Scope 3 comprises the areas an enterprise has the least control over — emissions from activities and assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organisation, but that the organisation indirectly impacts in its value chain. Scope 3 emissions often represent the majority of an organisation’s total GHG emissions.
Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse emissions from sources controlled or owned by an organisation, such as emissions associated with fuel combustion in boilers, furnaces, and vehicles.
Scope 2 covers indirect emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling.
Scope 3, also known as value chain emissions, has been the last frontier for most companies looking to shrink their carbon footprint. Scope 3 comprises the areas an enterprise has the least control over — emissions from activities and assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organisation, but that the organisation indirectly impacts in its value chain. Scope 3 emissions often represent the majority of an organisation’s total GHG emissions.
Carbon accounting is the process of calculating a company’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. Companies should calculate an initial emission benchmark and track reduction efforts across time (for example, annually).
For most organisations, calculating carbon emissions is just the first step. Since most corporate GHG emissions are closely linked with energy use, calculating GHG emissions can help identify ways to reduce energy use, which also reduces costs.
There is a multistep process used to calculate GHG emissions. First, set organisational and operational boundaries. After which, collect data on electricity, fuels, and other business activities that lead to emissions. Review this data for accuracy, completeness, and assumptions used. Next, apply relevant emission factors, which represent GHG emissions per unit of activity. Finally, share your emissions footprint with stakeholders, develop an action plan, and add third-party verification to ensure accuracy.
Identifying the assets that contribute the most carbon can help a company focus its reduction efforts, reach its goals faster, and communicate results to key stakeholders.
For most organisations, calculating carbon emissions is just the first step. Since most corporate GHG emissions are closely linked with energy use, calculating GHG emissions can help identify ways to reduce energy use, which also reduces costs.
There is a multistep process used to calculate GHG emissions. First, set organisational and operational boundaries. After which, collect data on electricity, fuels, and other business activities that lead to emissions. Review this data for accuracy, completeness, and assumptions used. Next, apply relevant emission factors, which represent GHG emissions per unit of activity. Finally, share your emissions footprint with stakeholders, develop an action plan, and add third-party verification to ensure accuracy.
Identifying the assets that contribute the most carbon can help a company focus its reduction efforts, reach its goals faster, and communicate results to key stakeholders.
Yes. Net Zero Cloud has report builders that walk you through reporting for voluntary and required frameworks. So far, CDP, CSRD, GRI, and SASB are supported. Report builders for the California laws (SB 253 and 261) are slated for later and will be added to the platform as per the new regulations.
ESG
ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. Together these three elements represent a set of standards used to evaluate an organisation's environmental and social impact.
A framework helps guide understanding of a topic and the direction of ESG reporting. It does not provide a methodology for the collection of information, data, or the reporting itself. Frameworks are used alongside ESG standards or in place of a well-defined standard.
In broad terms, the determination of which framework to follow is based on the size of your organisation, where your organisation is based, and where your company does business. In general, CSRD applies to all large organisation either based in or doing business in the EU. California SB 253 and 261 regulations apply to organisations based in or doing business in California. "Doing business" includes paricipating in an organisation's supply chain. So, if your organisation supplies parts to another organisation that is either based in or does business in either of these areas, you should plan to prepare reports according to the corresponding frameworks.
The SEC adopted rules to enhance and standardise climate-related disclosures for investors. The rules are based on the TCFD (Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures) framework. Net Zero Cloud will create a report builder that corresponds to the SEC framework once it is announced.