Our 2023 Carbon Footprint

HappyPorch has been monitoring carbon emissions over the years, continuously refining our tracking methodologies and data collection practices to improve accuracy. Sharing our ongoing journey of improvement highlights our commitment to transparency and acknowledging that we are striving to be better. Recognising that understanding and mitigating our environmental impact is an evolving process and our report reflects our dedication and best efforts to date. In line with our climate commitment, we are pleased to share our 2023 Carbon Footprint results.

During 2023, our total carbon emissions amounted to 28,965 kgCO2, marking the highest recorded footprint since our measurement began. However, it's essential to consider that 2023 also saw the highest number of team members at one point, with 14 individuals, which has contributed to the overall increase.

We consistently calculate our offsite energy consumption, particularly the energy utilised in accommodations during our in-person meetups. For the year 2023, our total offsite energy emissions amounted to 307 kg CO2, representing a notable 34% decrease compared to the previous year, despite hosting one additional in-person meetup. This decline shows a significant improvement in our selection of meetup locations and accommodations with lower electricity assumptions. 

We also account for our home energy consumption, a crucial aspect for us as we are a globally distributed remote company. In 2023, our total home energy emissions amounted to 6,148 kg CO2. We are happy to share an improvement in this area: some employees are using “Green Gas” where at least 10% of the gas that is supplied is renewable biogas. The rest is offset by investing in projects that improve access to green energy around the world. Also some team members are using solar panels and or are already using renewable electricity energy suppliers l. The total figure of our Team’s home energy consumption represents a significant 46% increase compared to the previous period, primarily due to the expansion of our team. However, we remain proactive in exploring avenues for supporting team members to renewable energy sources and implementing greener and more energy-efficient practices. 

We are proud to share that we have improved our travel emissions compared to previous years. In 2023 we hosted three in-person meetups, traveled 87,922 km and our travel emissions total up to 11,074 kg CO2 and 820 kg CO2 per team member. This indicates an improvement compared, for example, to the one-year analysis from 2018-2019, when we had 11 employees and where we traveled 85,662 km, traveled to two in-person meetups, and emitted 1,179 kg CO2 per staff member. This improvement could be attributed to our enhanced awareness of environmental impact and the adoption of sustainable travel practices. We were encouraged to use overland transportation and many Team members have traveled only by train and bus to our meetups avoiding air transport. Despite the lengthy journeys, such as from the UK to Germany or Austria spanning hundreds of kilometers, employees invested considerable time and effort in various overland adventures.

Our operations category covers our equipment purchases that we need to do our work and the managing of our online storage, data usage, and website activities. For 2023 this adds up to a total of 11,436 kg CO2 and it represents the highest emissions in this category since we began tracking. However, it's important to note that, in part, this increase reflects an improvement in measurement. We will remain dedicated to implementing effective methods to reduce our carbon footprint in this category, although it remains one of the most challenging areas to improve. 

Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions breakdown:

• Scope 1 emissions, which denote direct emissions from sources under HappyPorch's ownership or control, remained at zero, as in previous years, highlighting our lack of direct energy sources.

• Scope 2 emissions, totaling 11,743 kgCO2, represent our indirect emissions stemming from electricity and energy procured by HappyPorch. This category encompasses offsite electricity usage and operational emissions for the year.

• Scope 3 emissions, comprising other indirect emissions, reached 17,222 kgCO2. These emissions reflect the home energy consumed for work purposes by our globally distributed team, as well as emissions from business travel and travel to our in-person meetups and commuting activities.

Offsetting initiatives

The primary goal of measuring our footprint is to identify ways to reduce emissions, with the long term aim of being net zero. However, we acknowledge our current reality and will continue to “offset” where we cannot remove emissions. 

Crucially we see our offsetting as a chance to invest in nature positive projects too!

So to “offset”  our 2022 and 2023 carbon emissions, we have purchased 46 square meters of a meadow fostering the growth of 28,000 wildflowers, a partnership we take great pride in with My Square Metre. We have also added 20 trees in our HappyPorch grove via Trees for life and invested in the restoration of the Mombasa Mangrove Forest in Kenya through Ecosystem Restoration Communities and supported building clean energy and carbon-reducing through the “Improving Agriculture and Livelihoods” project in Uganda via Native.

Our journey towards reducing our carbon footprint is a continuous quest for improvement. Every step we take, from small adjustments to large-scale initiatives, contributes to our overarching goal of sustainability. We actively seek out opportunities to innovate and optimise our practices.