Enhancing GHG Accounting and Regulatory Preparedness for a UK Media Company
By Julia Akker (Associate Director), Abby Dateo (Senior Associate), and Neil Yeoh (Founder & CEO).
Client Challenge
A UK advertising agency sought to improve its positioning on sustainability with both investors and customers, and to future-proof the firm from upcoming climate regulations, and be aware of material risks and opportunities.
To meet these objectives, the client partnered with OnePointFive to streamline and advance its sustainability efforts, seeking an expert, third-party review of Scope 1-3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculations and methodologies in order to to set Science-based Targets (SBTs), and be eligible for national media contracts.
The client also needed support to understand the UK and EU's sustainability regulatory landscape to identify relevant compliance requirements, analyze the climate risks expected to impact its global operations, and identify top ESG initiatives to prioritize over a 12 month period.
OPF’s Solution
Assessed GHG accounting data to set the foundation for SBTi commitments
For its baseline Scope 1-3 calculations, the client had developed bespoke estimation methodologies to fill data gaps across certain emission sources. OnePointFive conducted a third-party review, assessing ~55 utility bills and the custom estimation methodologies across 8 in-scope categories of the GHG Protocol. This assessment identified 12 key findings and 5 main recommendations to enhance alignment of the client’s GHG Accounting methodologies with the GHG Protocol, the global standard defining best practice for GHG Accounting methodologies.
Conducted landscape analysis to identify regulatory compliance requirements
We researched UK and EU sustainability regulations to identify compliance requirements for our client, particularly in light of the UK’s Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), UK’s Procurement Policy Note 06/21 (PPN 06/21), the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the UK's forthcoming Sustainability Reporting Standards (SRS). We provided key takeaway materials including summary research slide decks and training content from our OPF Academy to enable continued learning and application of project outputs
Integrated Ad Net Zero Framework for media sector emission reporting
Given the client's status as a key contributor to the Ad Net Zero organization, it sought to follow the Ad Net Zero’s Global Media Sustainability Framework to accurately capture emissions from media-specific workflows and maintain competitive advantage in the market. OnePointFive compared the Framework's granular emissions quantification methodologies and data requirements against the client's current state, highlighting areas for future improvement as the company advances its GHG accounting efforts and capabilities.
(Content has been modified, anonymized, or abstracted to protect sensitive information and ensure client confidentiality.)
Qualified exposure to climate risks to prepare for regulatory disclosure
The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)’s S1 & S2 sustainability standards, on which the UK’s SRS rules are based, require organizations to disclose material climate risks. We conducted an initial assessment for the client, identifying and assessing top 5 physical and transition risks expected to affect the client's direct operations and supply chain across key markets.
By assessing physical and transition risks, we helped the client proactively prepare for upcoming regulatory requirements by providing insights into areas with higher risk exposure and vulnerability, and enabling prioritization of areas for targeted action.
Developed 12-month strategic ESG roadmap
Based on the 6 month project and key inputs from the client's sustainability team, OnePointFive developed a comprehensive ESG roadmap outlining 11 key initiatives to prioritize over the next 12 months. The roadmap included recommendations to improve annual GHG Accounting processes, mechanisms to engage global offices and departments in sustainability efforts, and actions to improve investor reporting and communications materials.
(Content has been modified, anonymized, or abstracted to protect sensitive information and ensure client confidentiality.)
Key Outcomes
✅ Gave the client confidence to set GHG Protocol-aligned SBTs, by conducting a third-party review of baseline Scope 1-3 emissions inputs and methodologies across 10 global offices, and setting up future data collection processes.
✅ Strengthened the client’s ability to anticipate and plan for climate impacts, by identifying and analyzing their top 5 physical and transition risks and articulating associated financial and operational implications.
✅ Streamlined the client’s regulatory compliance efforts by mapping gaps across 4 active UK and EU regulations, and 1 potential requirement, and identifying priority areas for alignment.
✅ Provided the client with a clear, actionable ESG roadmap for the next 12 months, including 11 initiatives and 21 milestones to advance their sustainability strategy post-collaboration.
