Mobile EV Charging: Complying with the Corporate Value Chain Standard
Businesses across the United States are being incentivized to find ways to lower their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Some businesses are choosing to electrify corporate vehicle fleets, switch to a cleaner energy source, or find a better way to dispose of products. However, if businesses truly want to reduce their emissions, they'll need to look beyond their operations.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol has created the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard. The Scope 3 Standard gives businesses the ability to assess operations and understand where reduction efforts need to be focused. This process includes looking at both indirect and direct GHG emissions of your business.
Adding electric vehicles (EVs) to corporate fleets is a huge step towards reducing GHG emissions and mobile EV charging is a great way to support the value chain. In this blog post, we will go over everything you need to know about EVs and mobile EV charging to reduce emissions.
What are Indirect and Direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions?
According to the Corporate Value Chain Accounting and Reporting Standard, there are three different scopes for corporate emissions. Scope 1 is direct emissions, Scope 2 is indirect, and Scope 3 is indirect for downstream and upstream activities. This standard requires companies to account for and report all Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and provides different options for Scope 3. Let's break it down.
What are Scope 1 Emissions?
Scope 1 emissions are emissions that are directly created by the business. These emissions can come from corporate fleet vehicles, company facilities, or equipment (such as boilers and furnaces). Scope 1 also includes accidental emissions such as chemical/oil spills and leaks.
What are Scope 2 Emissions?
Scope 2 emissions are any emissions from indirect upstream activities such as purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling used by the business. These are emissions that are caused outside of the business' facility but are caused by the company. For example, if a business purchases its electricity from a company that uses the burning of fossil fuels for power.
What are Scope 3 Emissions?
Scope 3 Emissions are indirect downstream activities. This includes actions such as transportation and distribution of goods/services, processing of sold products, use of sold products, end-of-life treatment of sold products, leased assets, franchises, and investments. An example of Scope 3 would be if you sold a product that was not packaged in a recyclable material which means it would end up in a landfill.
Scope 3 emissions are not produced by the business. They often are produced by the way customers/partners use the goods and services. This also includes any goods and services the business buys, uses, or disposes of from suppliers. For example, if your company purchases a new piece of equipment, your company is indirectly responsible for the emissions created during the shipping of that product.
How EVs and Mobile EV Charging Solutions Can Help Reduce Emissions
An easy way to get started reducing emissions is to assess the types of vehicles your business uses. Instead of using internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, consider introducing battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to reduce carbon emissions.
Adding electric cars to your corporate fleet comes with many challenges. These challenges can also affect the emissions your company outputs. Procuring EV charging infrastructure is the biggest hurdle to EV adoption for businesses. Getting the right charging solution that prioritizes sustainability is also a challenge.
You want to choose a charging station that is fast enough to keep up with operations and shares your emissions goals. Fixed charging infrastructure oftentimes requires lengthy construction and installation. Additionally, a lot of charging stations are manufactured outside the United States, adding to those Scope 3 emissions.
Mobile EV charging is a charging station that is not tied to the electrical grid. SparkCharge has pioneered charging-as-a-service programs designed for businesses adding electric vehicles to their fleets. SparkCharge CaaS is a program that enables businesses to request EV charging delivery to their lots.
Recognizing corporate green initiatives, SparkCharge uses its portable EV charger, the Roadie, to power the service. The Roadie is a battery-powered DC fast charger that was designed to be easily transported. SparkCharge's 100% electric delivery vans enable SparkCharge CaaS to carry the energy to the vehicle when and where it is needed.
Other Ways to Reduce Emissions
While adding electric vehicles is one way to reduce emissions, there are many other ways companies can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Reducing Scope 1 Emissions
Reducing your business' Scope 1 emissions involves transforming operations. One way to reduce your emissions is to reduce your energy consumption and increase energy efficiency.
Reducing your energy consumption is something employees can do daily. Some ways to get involved are to unplug items when not in use, shut down computers at the end of the night, and shut off lights when not in a room. To increase your energy efficiency you can look for appliances that are certified in energy efficiency standards as well as get an audit on your building. Understanding your business' energy usage is the first step to reducing Scope 1 emissions.
Reducing Scope 2 Emissions
Scope 2 emissions are a result of purchased energy that is not sustainable. To reduce these emissions you can add solar panels to your building, switch to a renewable energy source, or look for a new supplier.
Reducing Scope 3 Emissions
Scope 3 emissions can be some of the most challenging emissions to reduce since it is not directly produced by your business. One way to reduce Scope 3 emissions is to transition employee vehicles to electric vehicles or provide more sustainable transportation options. Offering employees commuter benefits for public transportation reduces the amount of cars on the road which reduces your Scope 3 emissions.
Other than utilizing electric vehicles, another way to reduce Scope 3 emissions is to package your products in recyclable materials. The way your company's products are disposed of contributes to your emissions. Making it easy for consumers to recycle or reuse your packaging can improve your emissions.
How SparkCharge Can Help Reduce Emissions
Reducing your Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, means choosing partners that share the same sustainability goals. SparkCharge's mobile EV chargers and EV charging delivery services enable your business to make important changes at a quicker pace. The faster your business can implement electric vehicles, the faster they can reduce emissions. SparkCharge's EV chargers and services can reduce emissions for your business by:
Provide battery-powered EV charging delivery for centralized and decentralized fleets (including employee vehicles).
Utilize 100% electric delivery vehicles to reduce Scope 3 emissions.
Offering mobile EV chargers that do not require installation, construction, or a grid connection.
SparkCharge is dedicated to helping companies go green and reduce emissions. Adding EVs to your fleet helps to not only reduce your company's emissions but also your partner's. Ready to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by using SparkCharge? Talk to our team of experts to get started.