Low hanging carbon: your strategic priority list for 2025

Carbon accounting provides the baseline. It shows where emissions are generated across Scope 1, 2, and 3. But knowing the numbers is not enough. The real opportunity comes when data guides action — pointing to the parts of the business where reductions are achievable, scalable, and strategically valuable.

Energy: the engine room of decarbonization

In almost every business, energy consumption dominates the emissions profile. Whether it is electricity powering offices and data centres or fuel used in manufacturing, energy is the most direct lever for reducing carbon.

What makes energy such a priority is the dual return. Every kilowatt saved is both a carbon reduction and a cost reduction. Efficiency upgrades in lighting, HVAC, or industrial equipment often pay back quickly, while sourcing renewable electricity through power purchase agreements or on-site generation strengthens resilience against volatile energy markets.

Companies that integrate energy and emission data into a single management system gain a strategic advantage. Instead of reporting tonnes of greenhouse gases and kilowatt-hours separately, they see the combined financial and environmental impact of each intervention. This integration allows finance teams to model emissions reductions in the same way they forecast cost savings — turning sustainability into a familiar language of return on investment.

The overlooked but visible: travel and logistics

Not every emissions source is as dominant as energy, but some are disproportionately visible. Travel and logistics fall into this category. Business travel, particularly short-haul flights, can undermine a company’s climate credibility, even if the absolute numbers are smaller than other categories. The level of influence of these emissions is generally also higher compared to other Scope 3 categories (as mentioned in the next section), as you could formulate business travel policies that have a direct impact on these emissions.

For logistics-heavy businesses, freight and transport create both emissions and exposure to fuel price volatility. Here, incremental changes, consolidating shipments, optimizing routes, or piloting low-emission fleets, not only cut carbon but also build resilience into operations. These measures are rarely transformative on their own, but they send important cultural signals to employees and customers while contributing measurable reductions over time.

Supply chain: influence over control

The supply chain is where decarbonization becomes most complex. For many companies, purchased goods and services account for more than half of total emissions. Yet unlike energy use or business travel, these emissions sit outside direct operational control.

This is where supplier engagement and assessment matter. A structured program allows companies to map their supplier base, identify high-impact categories, and engage in targeted improvement projects. Some suppliers are already leading the way, investing in renewable energy or redesigning products with lower embodied carbon. Partnering with these innovators creates strategic value that goes beyond compliance.

Equally, suppliers struggling with efficiency or governance represent operational risks. Poor energy management inflates costs that are ultimately passed along the chain, while inadequate workforce practices can cause disruption or reputational harm. By embedding supplier performance into procurement decisions, companies create a feedback loop where sustainability, cost, and risk management are aligned.

Waste and water: unlocking secondary gains

Waste and water do not always dominate the carbon footprint, but they unlock a different kind of value. Reducing waste lowers both disposal costs and the embodied emissions of materials. Improving water efficiency is increasingly linked to climate adaptation, especially in regions where scarcity threatens operational continuity.

When these metrics are tracked alongside emissions, companies gain a more complete picture of resource efficiency. The value lies less in the tonnes of greenhouse gases saved and more in building a resilient operating model that is less exposed to environmental risks and rising input costs.

Moving from measurement to momentum

The past decade has been about measurement: getting the carbon numbers right. The next phase is about momentum: using those numbers to drive action across energy, travel, supply chain, waste, and water. The companies that succeed will be those that treat carbon not as a compliance exercise but as a strategic tool for efficiency, resilience, and growth.

Position Green supports this shift by combining advisory expertise with a carbon management platform that connects emissions to wider resource use, integrates financial and sustainability data, and delivers audit-ready traceability. This ensures that carbon reduction priorities are not only identified but embedded into decision-making across the organization.

The bottom line

There are no shortcuts to decarbonisation, but there are smarter starting points. Energy efficiency, travel, supply chain engagement, and resource use offer the greatest potential for impact when managed together. Each brings different benefits — some financial, some cultural, some strategic. Combined, they form a practical priority list for 2025 that enables companies to move from carbon accounting to real decarbonisation.

All the more reason for you to consider downloading our Carbon Accounting Package we’ve put together, which contains a key range of decarbonization and value creation insights for both beginners at Decarbonization and those reaching for its strategic advantages.