What should I write if we haven't measured our emissions?

Say so plainly, then say what you are doing and when you will have figures. For example: 'We have not yet measured our emissions. We are calculating Scope 1 and 2 for our financial year to March 2026 and will share them by 30 November 2026.'

Can I leave questions blank?

Avoid it. A blank gives the customer nothing to score and can look like you didn't read the question. 'Not measured yet' with a date, or 'not applicable' with a reason, is almost always better.

Should I claim we are carbon neutral because we buy offsets?

No. Report your actual emissions and describe any offsets separately. Buyers and regulators treat carbon neutral and net zero claims based on offsets sceptically.

How do I keep answers consistent across customers?

Keep a single answer sheet with your figures, period, method and plan link, and copy from it every time. Update it once a year when you refresh your footprint.

Do I need software to answer a questionnaire?

No. A first Scope 1 and 2 footprint can come from a year of bills and a calculator. Software helps when you answer several customers or update every year.

How to answer a customer carbon questionnaire as a small firm

Answer a customer's carbon questionnaire with short, factual sentences: what you measure, the period, your Scope 1 and 2 figures in tonnes of CO2e, the method and government factor year, and a link to your plan. Where you don't know yet, say so, say what you're doing about it and give a date. An honest 'not yet, by November' scores better than a blank or a guess.

Updated 6 October 2026 by the Carbon Recycling team. Figures use the official UK government conversion factors and are checked against the current gov.uk guidance.

This post gives you wording you can adapt. For why customers ask, what data they need and how to work out the emissions for one customer's account, read our guide on what to send when a customer asks for your carbon emissions.

Before you start

Read every question first and note which are mandatory or scored. Portals often hide follow-up questions behind a "yes".
Gather what you already have: any footprint, Carbon Reduction Plan, SECR figures, energy bills and your environmental policy.
Start an answer sheet. A single document with your figures, period, method and links. Every future questionnaire copies from it, so you never give two customers different numbers.

Model answers to common questions

Replace the square brackets with your own details. Keep the structure: fact, basis, and what's next.

"Do you measure your greenhouse gas emissions?"

"Yes. We measure our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, and Scope 3 categories [4, 5, 6, 7 and 9], following the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and using the UK government conversion factors for [2026]. Our latest figures cover [April 2025 to March 2026]."

"What are your Scope 1 and 2 emissions?"

"For [April 2025 to March 2026]: Scope 1, [x] tCO2e; Scope 2 (location-based), [y] tCO2e. [Our electricity is on a renewable tariff backed by REGOs, so our market-based Scope 2 is [z] tCO2e.]"

Always give the location-based Scope 2. If you're on a green tariff, add the market-based figure, clearly labelled, but never replace one with the other. Our post on location-based vs market-based explains the difference.

"What are your Scope 3 emissions?"

"We have measured business travel, employee commuting, waste, and upstream and downstream transport: [x] tCO2e in total for [period]. We have not yet measured purchased goods and services or capital goods; we plan to include them for [the year to March 2027]."

"Do you have a reduction target?"

"We are committed to net zero by [2050 or earlier]. Our target is a [x]% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions from our [year] baseline by [year]."

Only call a target "science-based" if the Science Based Targets initiative has validated it. Otherwise describe it as it is. Our guide to science-based targets for SMEs explains the difference.

"Do you have a Carbon Reduction Plan or net zero commitment?"

"Yes. Our Carbon Reduction Plan was approved by our board on [date] and is published at [web address]."

"What actions have you taken to reduce emissions?"

"In [year] we [replaced office lighting with LEDs / moved two vans to electric / introduced a cycle-to-work scheme]. Next, we plan to [action] by [date]."

Name real, specific projects with dates. A general statement that you "take sustainability seriously" tells the customer nothing they can use.

What to say when you don't know yet

Most small firms can't answer everything the first time. That's normal, and there are good ways to say it:

Situation	What to write
Never measured	"We have not yet measured our emissions. We are calculating Scope 1 and 2 for [period] and will share them by [date]."
Scope 3 partly measured	"Categories [list] measured; [list] not yet measured. We plan to include them for [period]."
No target yet	"We will set a reduction target once our baseline year is complete, expected by [date]."
Question doesn't apply	"Not applicable: [we do not own vehicles / we have no refrigeration equipment]."
Figure is an estimate	"Estimated from [a staff survey of x% of employees / spend data]; we aim to improve this with [method]."

Then keep your promise. A customer who sees the same "by [date]" two years running will mark it down. If you need figures quickly, a year of gas and electricity bills and vehicle fuel is enough for a first Scope 1 and 2 footprint; our kWh to CO2e calculator gives you a figure in minutes.

Mistakes to avoid

Sending a total with no period, method or factor year.
Giving different figures to different customers for the same year.
Claiming carbon neutral or net zero because you bought offsets.
Copying a large company's answers that don't describe your business.
Over-promising dates you can't meet.

If the questionnaire feels like it is asking for more than is reasonable from a business your size, see our post on what large customers can and can't reasonably ask of small suppliers.

How Carbon Recycling helps

Your footprint, Carbon Reduction Plan and SECR figures come from one set of data in Carbon Recycling, so every questionnaire gets the same numbers. Each figure shows the government factor and year behind it, which is what a customer's sustainability team checks, and you can export your activity data as a CSV or save any report as a PDF to attach.