Understanding our carbon footprint has always mattered to us. Over the past couple of years we've built a solid picture of it, and this year we took that work a big step further: our numbers are now more accurate than ever and, for the first time, fully verified by an independent third party. Here's how, and the rather nice surprise it led to along the way.

How did we start measuring our carbon footprint?

We began in 2024 and 2025 by producing our first Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon footprint reports using recognised carbon-estimating tools. It was genuinely valuable work: for the first time, we could see our total greenhouse gas emissions across the business and, just as importantly, where they were coming from. That gave us a strong baseline to improve on.

What are Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions?

Greenhouse gas emissions are grouped into three "scopes," and knowing which is which is the key to reading any carbon footprint:

• Scope 1: direct emissions from our own operations, like heating our offices.

• Scope 2: indirect emissions from the energy we purchase.

• Scope 3: everything else: the goods and services we buy, business travel, employee commuting, water and more. For most companies, this is by far the biggest slice, and it's the hardest to measure.

Why did we move from estimates to real data?

Because estimates, while a sensible start, only get you so far. A lot of our early Scope 3 figures were spend-based (we estimated emissions from how much we spent with each supplier, rather than from the actual activity behind that spend). It's a perfectly accepted method and a good place to begin, but activity-based data (real figures on what actually happened) paints a far truer picture.

For a small company, gathering, checking and formatting that kind of data from every supplier is a serious undertaking. So for our 2025 reporting year, we brought in the experts.

Who verifies our carbon footprint?

Our footprint is now independently verified by Neutral Carbon Zone (NCZ). We partnered with NCZ to measure our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions to full ISO 14064 compliance, the internationally recognised standard for greenhouse gas reporting. That gives us a genuine, evidence-based baseline across all our operations, and a proper foundation for cutting emissions where it counts.

The verification is the part that matters most. Rather than reporting our own numbers and asking you to take our word for it, our emissions have been independently checked and confirmed against a recognised international standard. When it comes to sustainability, that kind of external scrutiny is exactly what separates a genuine claim from a nice-sounding one and it's something we're proud to now have behind our figures.

What is NCZ Platinum certification?

NCZ Platinum is the top tier of Neutral Carbon Zone's certification and we're proud to say we came out NCZ Platinum certified. Yes, that's the top rung. No, we’re not bragging, just really happy about it!

Why does Scope 3 matter most for us?

Because Scope 3 makes up a whopping 99.9% of our total footprint, so getting the supply chain right is where the real difference lies. That's why, instead of relying on spend-based estimates, we're now collecting real activity data directly from our suppliers.

It works through a structured process:

• Every supplier is invited to a webinar to learn about the programme, then asked for their data via a standardised form.

• From there, they can share emissions data they already measure, begin measuring through one of NCZ's four awards, or (if they've never done it before) use a free carbon calculator to get started.

• We get feedback on suppliers who don't engage, so we know where the gaps are and can work to fill them in the future.

Where suppliers haven't shared their data yet, we've fallen back on spend-based figures in the meantime. It's not perfect, but it's an honest reflection of where we are, and the direction of travel is clearly right.

The nice surprise: a ripple effect

Here's the bit that genuinely made us smile. In our first year on the programme, half of the suppliers who gave us data used that free tool to measure their footprint for the very first time.

Think about that. By making one decision, a small panda-shaped company nudged a whole group of other businesses to start measuring their emissions, many of whom might never have done so otherwise. That ripple reaches well beyond our own operations, and it's exactly the kind of impact we're here for.

How are our suppliers scored — and what are we aiming for?

Every supplier is scored and ranked on their sustainability efforts, benchmarked against the Paris Agreement. That means performance is measured against what the science says we actually need, not just what's average for the industry.

This year, 84% of our suppliers engaged with the process. We're chuffed with that, and we're not stopping there: we're aiming for 95% by 2029.

We'll keep being honest with you every step of the way. Our carbon footprint is more accurate today than it's ever been, independently verified, and only getting sharper from here.