What is carbon footprinting?
Carbon footprinting is the measurement of an organisation’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). These emissions typically stem from fuel and electricity consumption, fertiliser application, packaging, and other sources.
In recent years, increased focus on environmental impact has led to greater regulatory pressure on buyers to report emissions. Thus, carbon footprinting is no longer a reporting exercise, but has increasingly been used as a condition for market participation, particularly in export-oriented agricultural supply chains.
Carbon footprints as a barrier to market access
High-value markets and major retailers are increasingly requiring agricultural suppliers to calculate and disclose their carbon footprints. This is because agricultural production is both greatly impacted by climate change but also can significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
By requiring verified carbon footprints, retailers can source produce with demonstrable environmental performance and support sustainability claims with measurable data.
Therefore, suppliers should not view carbon footprints as an administrative burden, but rather as a strategic opportunity to demonstrate an environmental competitive advantage and long-term competitiveness.
Audit requirements for Carbon Footprints
Auditors should not only verify if a carbon footprint exists, but also assess the credibility, methodology, and relevance of the calculation. Key points to evaluate include:
Recognised calculator
- The calculator should use an internationally recognised carbon accounting methodology
- Calculator should be accredited, audited, or aligned with recognised assurance standards (such as ISAAE3000, ISSA5000, AA1000AS, or equivalent frameworks)
Local relevance of emission factors
- Calculation should use emission factors appropriate for the South African context
Following the risk rating guidance
- Good practice: Employment site has calculated its carbon footprint for multiple years via a recognised carbon calculator; results of the carbon footprint are incorporated into the energy management plan
- Minor Non-compliance: Employment site does not make use of an external carbon footprint calculator
- Major Non-compliance: The site uses AI or an unaccredited company to calculate its carbon footprint; it has failed to calculate a carbon footprint since its previous third-party audit.
- Critical Non-compliance: Clear evidence of management refusing to implement or calculate a carbon footprint
It is important for suppliers to understand that creating a carbon footprint for environmental compliance purposes is primarily a measurement and reporting exercise. It involves quantifying an organisation’s greenhouse gas emissions (typically Scope 1, 2, and, where required, Scope 3) to meet regulatory, buyer, or certification requirements. The objective is accuracy, transparency, alignment with recognised methodologies such as the GHG Protocol, a compliance recognised standards organisation, and ensuring that the business can demonstrate its current environmental impact and comply with market or legal expectations.
Working towards net-zero targets, however, goes beyond measurement. It is a long-term strategic commitment to systematically reduce emissions across operations and value chains, invest in efficiency and renewable energy, transform production practices, and only use credible offsets for residual emissions that cannot be eliminated. In essence, a carbon footprint tells you where you stand; a net-zero strategy defines where you are going and how you will get there, embedding climate ambition into core business planning rather than treating it solely as a compliance requirement.
Given the above, suppliers are encouraged to submit monthly data to a digital recordkeeping platform such as the SIZATrack360 programme to avoid duplication. If calculations are conducted through SIZA, you will meet both compliance requirements and net-zero targets as part of a long-term strategy.
Overall, carbon footprinting is quickly becoming a core component of agricultural assurance, market access, and environmental compliance. Auditors should extend focus beyond verifying the existence of a carbon footprint to assess whether it is credible, locally relevant, and actively used for environmental management. Choose wisely when you decide to start with your carbon footprint.
