Accelerating the low-carbon transition through a clear and measurable climate strategy
As climate change accelerates, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is becoming an increasingly important strategic priority for French companies. National guidelines—and in particular the National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC)—set a clear course: achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. To accomplish this, every organization must now embark on a structured low-carbon transition, based on a reliable carbon footprint assessment, a measurable carbon plan, and governance aligned with ADEME’s recommendations.
This transition requires moving beyond mere declarations of intent and adopting a results-oriented approach, through robust, coherent, and actionable climate strategies. The challenge is all the greater given that the majority of companies’ carbon footprints stem from Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, which are often linked to procurement, travel, or the supply chain.
In this context, developing a low-carbon strategy at the corporate level is no longer an option. It is essential for reducing a company’s carbon footprint, ensuring its competitiveness, anticipating tax and regulatory requirements, and actively contributing to the collective effort to reduce emissions. Adopting a structured approach not only enhances the consistency of internal actions but also aligns the company with international best practices, such as ADEME’s ACT method, which is used to assess the credibility of climate plans.
In this article, we will explore how a clear climate strategy—backed by a Bilan Carbone® (BEGES), an action plan, regular assessments, and operational tools such as Decarbo’Solution®— can effectively accelerate the carbon transition and engage the entire ecosystem in an ambitious and measurable environmental project.
Contents
Accelerating the Low-Carbon Transition: A Strategic Imperative for Businesses
Understanding the Carbon Transition in the Current Context
The low-carbon transition has become a key issue for organizations today, regardless of their sector. It hinges on the ability to gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are responsible for global warming. While France has already taken numerous steps since the Paris Agreement, the latest national assessments emphasize that efforts must be stepped up to meet the established goals.
For businesses, this transition represents both a responsibility and an opportunity. It is a responsibility because they contribute directly or indirectly to emissions related to energy, transportation, procurement, and industrial processes. It is an opportunity because adopting a robust climate strategy can boost performance, enhance a company’s appeal, and position it as a credible player in the environmental transition.
The concept of carbon transition thus goes beyond simply calculating emissions: it involves a comprehensive, structured commitment grounded in a long-term vision.
The National Framework: Guidelines and Requirements
In France, the National Low-Carbon Strategy sets the course for all public and private stakeholders. This roadmap outlines the reduction pathways to be followed to align the country’s efforts with climate goals. It is accompanied by a set of incentives and regulatory measures that encourage companies to develop their own strategies.
ADEME plays a key role in this support. It provides guidelines, methodological tools, and an evaluation framework—notably through the ACT method—that enable organizations to assess the consistency of their action plans. This approach encourages companies to develop a climate strategy that is reliable, measurable, and aligned with national expectations.
Beyond regulatory requirements, a sector-wide trend is taking hold. All public tenders—and many private ones—now require that carbon impact be taken into account, which underscores the need to be able to demonstrate a genuine commitment.
Why a Clear and Measurable Climate Strategy Has Become Essential
Companies can no longer get by with general statements or symbolic commitments. To meet the expectations of employees, customers, investors, and regulators, they must now demonstrate their ability to manage their transition.
A clear climate strategy is based on three pillars:
- Specific and Consistent Objectives
These objectives must align with the recommended pathways at the national and international levels. They must also be realistic and tailored to the context of each organization. - Structured and Prioritized Actions
A strategy is only valuable if it is accompanied by a concrete action plan that includes reduction measures, targeted investments, and changes to internal practices. - Management Based on Reliable Indicators
Regular monitoring and evaluation make it possible to adapt the strategy, anticipate regulatory changes, and ensure the consistency of actions over time.
Having a measurable climate strategy also means being able to better manage operational, financial, and reputational risks, while strengthening the company’s competitive advantage in a context where environmental performance is becoming a decisive factor.
Building an Effective Framework for Action: From GHG Assessment to Operational Plan
Understanding the Importance of a Comprehensive GHG Inventory for Establishing a Solid Foundation
A GHG inventory is the first step toward managing an organization’s impact on greenhouse gases. It quantifies emissions associated with various areas: energy, travel, production, logistics, and procurement.
Organizations often find that the majority of emissions come from the extended scope (often referred to as Scope 3), which means special attention must be paid to suppliers and partners.
Data reliability is essential. An accurate calculation, in accordance with recognized methods such as Bilan Carbone®, ISO 14064, or the GHG Protocol, provides a clear and actionable overview.
Certain digital solutions—such as Decarbo’Solution®—help enhance this quality. For example, one user of the Decarbo’Supply® module saw the uncertainty in their inventory drop from 50% to just 5% thanks to rigorous collection of supplier data.
Define a coherent direction aligned with national standards
Once a clear picture of emissions has been established, it becomes possible to direct future efforts. Even though the term “target” is off-limits, it is still possible to speak of trajectories or quantified milestones. These benchmarks make it possible to track changes in emissions over time and avoid declarative approaches that lack a technical basis.
The chosen approach must be consistent with national expectations, but also tailored to internal constraints: available resources, structure, business processes, energy needs, etc.
Consistency among these elements ensures that the approach is credible in the eyes of partners, customers, and authorities.
Develop a realistic operational plan based on the ACT method
The final step is to translate the findings of the GHG assessment into a clear, measurable, and manageable plan.
This involves:
- Identifying the most relevant levers (energy, logistics, procurement, design, mobility, etc.)
- An assessment of their potential in terms of greenhouse gas emissions
- Estimating Associated Costs (OPEX/CAPEX)
- Scheduling Measures Over Time
The tools offered by Decarbo’Solution®, particularly Decarbo’Target®, facilitate this process through simulation modules that allow users to observe the impact of a specific lever over several years and compare different development trajectories.
The goal is not merely to implement a set of initiatives, but rather to ensure ongoing management: updating data, conducting annual reviews, making adjustments as needed, and communicating transparently with stakeholders.
This approach ensures a controlled progression and better anticipation of regulatory and industry expectations.
We aim to meet ministerial requirements and guidelines by promoting a more responsible approach to sports and raising awareness among our members and the general public.
Decarbo’Solution®: An Operational Tool for Methodical Progress
A comprehensive approach based on three complementary modules
Decarbo’Solution® is a suite of tools designed to support each organization on its path to a low-carbon future.
Built on French expertise and drawing on extensive hands-on experience, it addresses a variety of challenges, including data consistency, long-term management, supplier integration, and the improvement of internal practices.
This system is based on three key components— Decarbo’Supply®, Decarbo’Tender®, and Decarbo’Target®.
Each module has been designed to address a specific part of the process and facilitate the implementation of concrete projects.
Decarbo’Supply®: Gaining a Better Understanding of the Impact of Purchasing
The upstream portion of a business activity is often responsible for a large share of its carbon footprint.
Decarbo’Supply® provides more reliable data through:
- an automated supplier invitation system (Supplier’Connect®),
- dedicated calculation tools such as My-PCF® or My-CIF®,
- access to several recognized databases (Base Carbone®, Empreinte®, EcoInvent®, Inies®).
A case study from Schmidt Groupe clearly illustrates this benefit: the company was able to significantly reduce the uncertainty in its internal data —from 50% to just 5%—thanks to more accurate carbon accounting provided by its partners.
This support provides a more comprehensive understanding of supply-chain-related impacts and helps better identify future priorities.
Decarbo’Tender®: Incorporating a Carbon Criterion into Bidding Processes
All public projects—and an increasing number of private ones—include an environmental criterion in their requests for proposals.
Decarbo’Tender® facilitates this process by offering:
- standardized data entry forms,
- receipt of reliable data to compare the proposals,
- an approach consistent with the requirements of ISO 14067,
- compliance with the Public Procurement Code.
This module highlights the most committed suppliers and enables the integration of a carbon criterion in a transparent and neutral manner.
It enables the implementation of “Positive Carbon Discrimination®” to identify the most environmentally sound offerings.
Decarbo’Target®: Developing a Program That Can Be Managed Over Time
Based on the carbon footprint assessment, Decarbo’Target® helps develop a clear action plan based on the insights gained from the analysis.
Its features include:
- a detailed analysis of the factors that have the greatest impact on the overall footprint,
- simulators that allow users to observe how emissions change over several years,
- taking into account the financial and operational aspects (CAPEX/OPEX),
- a dynamic dashboard that enables regular monitoring.
This module allows for gradual progress while providing internal teams with a framework that is easy to use.
It serves as a useful tool for aligning with national guidelines such as the SNBC and with recognized approaches, particularly those inspired by ADEME’s ACT method.
A solution that supports projects and communities
Finally, Decarbo’Solution® stands out for its ability to adapt to any type of region, sector, or project.
Its user-friendly interface, accessible resources, and support from our engineers ensure that everyone can find relevant advice, regardless of their level of familiarity with the subject.
The system operates in SaaS mode, which facilitates collaboration and ensures continuity in implementation.
Thanks to this comprehensive approach, public and private sector organizations have a robust framework to move forward over the long term, while taking into account the realities of their operations.
Accelerating the transition to a low-carbon model is no longer merely a voluntary effort; it has become an essential step in addressing new environmental, regulatory, fiscal, and economic challenges. Today, both public and private sector stakeholders must rely on reliable data, a clear framework, and tools capable of guiding each organization toward more responsible and better-managed operations.
In this context, the solutions offered by Decarbo’Solution® provide a structured framework that enables organizations to move forward with precision in synergy with their ecosystem (stakeholders, employees, suppliers) Whether the goal is to better understand the impacts associated with a business activity, to incorporate carbon criteria into requests for proposals, to engage suppliers, or to develop a program that can be managed over time, each module helps strengthen the overall coherence of the system. This comprehensive approach is based on a philosophy of continuous improvement, enriched by the expertise of engineers and supported by recognized methods such as ADEME’s ACT or national standards.