Preparing carbon data for a consultant

A consultant can help you choose the right approach and review difficult calculations. You can make that work easier by gathering the business records first, with a clear note of what they cover and what is still missing.

Agree the brief before asking for records

Send your consultant three questions:

• What are we preparing? A Carbon Reduction Plan, an internal footprint, a response to a customer or something else? Share the actual customer request if there is one.
• Which parts of the business are included? Confirm the legal organisation, sites, vehicles and operations. Explain shared premises, leases or group arrangements rather than making an assumption.
• Which dates should the records cover? Agree one start date and end date. Ask how to handle bills that cross them.

Also agree who will collect information and who can answer questions. If finance holds the bills but the operations manager knows which sites they cover, record both contacts. You do not need to settle every technical question yourself; flag the ones that need the consultant's judgement.

Use your first hour to get organised

The aim is a useful starting folder, not a finished footprint.

1. First 10 minutes: write the agreed organisation, purpose and dates at the top of a collection log. Create a folder for that business and period in your existing secure filing system.
2. Next 20 minutes: find the records you already have. Start with energy statements and business mileage, then identify who holds travel, waste, freight and commuting information. Use the full data checklist for the relevant sources.
3. Next 20 minutes: log each source, its dates, unit, record reference and person responsible. Keep a separate list of requests that are still outstanding.
4. Final 10 minutes: check for mismatched periods, duplicate records and estimates. Send the consultant the questions that affect the collection work before gathering more.

An example electricity record for a completed period might read: “1 April 2025–31 March 2026; 6,800 kWh; supplier annual statement ELEC-2025-26; finance holds the original.” This is an example of an activity record, not a calculated footprint. Electricity cost alone is not a substitute for kWh.

Keep three states distinct: an actual activity figure comes from records for that activity; an estimate needs its method and assumptions; missing information remains outstanding. A missing bill does not mean zero consumption. Tell the consultant where an estimate was necessary so they can judge whether it is suitable.

Use Carbon Verify without pretending the work is finished

The Standard CRP collection spreadsheet is free to download before buying. It helps you organise supported inputs; it is not a complete editable project or a replacement for original records. Use the guided demo to see the questions with fictional data. Entering your own figures in the app requires an annual licence.

In the app, select Prepare information for a consultant or independent review as the purpose. This changes the review wording, not your reporting scope. Standard CRP is the focused route; Extended footprint adds optional coverage. Agree the scope with your consultant rather than switching on extra sections simply because they exist.

The current activity calculator uses the 2026 factor edition and supports reporting periods ending in 2026. Do not force an unsupported year into an import or change its dates to make it fit.

In stage 7, Check & download, open Need a draft for review? for a labelled draft. A working Evidence Pack can be downloaded after basic numeric and date checks pass, even while source or review items remain pending. Keep those gaps visible. Do not record management approval just to obtain a review copy.

Send a small, clear handover

Ask which formats and records the consultant needs. A useful handover may contain:

• A dated .carbonverify project file, if they will continue in Carbon Verify.
• The working Evidence Pack and relevant labelled draft.
• The original bills, logs or calculations they request, stored separately.
• A short decision list: missing records, estimates, unclear boundaries and possible overlaps.

See saving and reopening projects and what each download contains. A project file does not grant app access; confirm the consultant's licence arrangements if they need to open it in the app.

Carbon Verify keeps emissions activity data in your browser and saved files. It is not a shared consultant portal and does not upload the originals. Review sensitive information and use an agreed secure transfer method. The consultant decides what further evidence, corrections or specialist work are needed.

Related guides

• How to understand your business carbon footprint
• How to choose practical carbon reduction actions
• What to send when a customer asks for your carbon footprint