Our Sustainability Commitment
Reporting purpose
At Rethink Carbon, we are annually reporting on our sustainability commitment. The purpose of these reports is to demonstrate Rethink Carbon’s commitment to sustainability, and to provide a framework for implementing sustainable practices. Using quantitive and qualitative inputs, the reports include carbon emissions, our wider sustainable efforts and reduction plans.
Our commitment
Our aim for sustainability reporting is to be transparent and realistic. As outlined in the reports, we have created quantifiable emissions targets, but we also commit to economic, social and environmental responsibility. We are committed to ensuring the long-term economic sustainability of our business by making responsible financial decisions and promoting sustainable economic growth. Born as a start-up, we must consider growth as a factor. Our footprint is likely to change drastically, but we are committed to open reporting and planning for sustainable company growth. We pledge to operate ethically and contribute positively to the communities in which we operate. This includes respecting human rights, promoting diversity and inclusion through accessibility, and ensuring the well-being of our employees.
Methods
This report has been produced using methods and guidance from participating in the Climate Springboard Programme run by the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI), helping Scottish businesses prepare for net zero. Our Sustainable Operations Commitment to low-carbon marketing has been calculated using the Compare the Market Social Carbon Footprint Calculator (using Greenspector). Carbon emissions (tCO₂e) have been calculated using the Natwest Carbon Planner, sourced from internally collected data.
Latest report: 2024/25
Scope and boundaries
The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol defines three Scopes based on emissions across the value chain. It is important (and mandatory for some Scopes) that organisations look at all emissions, however in most cases not all will be relevant or applicable, particularly for a start-up working remotely. In this section, we have justified the scope and boundaries of Rethink Carbon’s sustainability report, all in accordance with the GHG Protocol and as supported to do via Climate Springboard at the ECCI.
Applicable and Included
Emissions source | Scope | Importance of footprint - justification | Ease of data collection |
Home-working | 3 | Medium - small energy usage, but chosen to include figures representative of current carbon emissions | Hard - the team work remotely, so usage is based on calculations from educated estimates per tech equipment |
Business travel | 3 | High - the team are need to travel long distances across the UK when necessary | Easy - mileage and mode of transport is recorded with invoicing |
Purchased goods and services, and capital goods | 3 | High - as we are digital and Cloud-based, there is increased awareness around the sustainability of cloud-based software and digital tools | Easy - purchased goods and services and capital goods are recorded with invoicing |
Not Applicable or Included
Emissions source | Scope | Importance of footprint - justification | |
Fleet | 1 | No fleet | |
Physical or chemical processing | 1 | No chemical or physical processing | |
Fugitive emissions | 1 | No refrigerant gas | |
Combustion of fuels (heating) | 1 | Own no property or premises | |
Purchased electricity | 2 | Own no vehicles | |
Generation of purchased steam/ heat/cooling | 2 | Emissions resulting from the generation of steam or heat by another organisation are not relevant | |
District heating/cooling | 2 | Not connected to a heat network | |
Employee commuting | 3 | Everyone in the team works from home | |
Waste | 3 | The impact is too small and the organisation’s all digitised, therefore it is not worth the time spent to measure | |
Upstream and downstream transportation and distribution | 3 | Not relevant | |
Upstream and downstream leased assets | 3 | Not relevant | |
Processing of sold products | 3 | Not relevant, all digitised | |
Use of sold products | 3 | Not relevant, all cloud-based | |
End-of-life treatment of sold products | 3 | Not relevant, all cloud-based | |
Investments | 3 | Not relevant | |
Franchise | 3 | Not relevant | |
Fuel and energy- related activities | 3 | Not reported by us, but may be included in the Carbon Planner calculations | |
Carbon footprint
Scope 1
Scope 2
Scope 3
Total emissions
0%Total emissions
0%Total emissions
0%Carbon reduction plan
Vision
At Rethink Carbon, we are motivated by our own passions for sustainability and bettering the planet. The team have backgrounds in geography, ecology, environmental sciences, and technology – so we understand the need to act on the climate crisis now, before it’s too late.
Currently, we have a vision to support everyone in land management to make informed decisions for the benefit of nature, climate and communities. Our 2025 goal is to expand and provide the same benefits across England.
Net Zero targets
Scotland has set an ambitious target to reach Net Zero by 2045. Albeit small, to contribute to this, we have set 2024/25, short-term and long-term reduction targets. These targets are realistic to Rethink Carbon, and take into account team expansion by setting targets measured per employee.
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Targets
Net Zero target | Scope target | 2023/24 baseline | Reduce emissions by | Target emissions | Status |
2024/25 target | Begin reporting on the sustainability of tech and marketing software and create a Sustainable Operations Commitment | - | - | - | ✅ |
Short-term target 1 | Create a Sustainable Business Travel Policy that is ready to implement by 2026 | - | - | - | |
Short-term target 2 | In 2026, evaluate progress and complete a boundary review, inline with operation changes and company growth which are likely to increase Scope 1 and 2 emissions. | - | - | - | |
Short-term target 3 | Per employee average, reduce business travel emissions by 10% by 2027, compared to a 2023/24 baseline. | 2.63 tCO₂e | 0.53 tCO₂e | 2.10 tCO₂e | |
Long-term target | Per employee average, reduce business travel emissions by 30% by 2030, compared to a 2023/24 baseline. | 2.63 tCO₂e | 0.79 tCO₂e | 1.84 tCO₂e |
Sustainable Operations Commitment.
Vision
To achieve our 2024/25 target, we have created Rethink Carbon’s Sustainable Operations Commitment. The purpose of the commitment is to ensure and prove Rethink Carbon use sustainable approaches and methods to digital marketing and software development. As a climate-tech organisation in the environmental and sustainability realm, it is important we uphold our commitment to sustainability. We acknowledge the scepticism surrounding the use of AI due to some environmental impacts. We educate ourselves in this area and ensure we use low power consumption tools and finely tune our servers to minimise our digital footprint. Digital marketing and software emissions are accounted for under Scope 3.
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Digital marketing
Action | Average emissions | 2024/25 total emissions | Our commitment |
Marketing emails | 25 gCO₂e per email | 0.00065 tCO₂e | Image resolution does not exceed requirements and only sending emails when necessary |
Social media use | 1.15 gCO₂e per minute | 0.0045 tCO₂e | Maintaining awareness of streaming videos and aiming for 15 minutes of LinkedIn use per day |
Software
Category | 2024/25 total emissions | Our commitment |
Data transfer | 0.0012 tCO₂e | We optimise data transfer processes to minimise energy consumption and promote efficient resource utilisation |
Compute power (serverless) | 0.00057 tCO₂e | We build our platforms using Serverless computing, which significantly reduces power consumption compared to traditional cloud architectures because it only allocates resources when needed and scales down to zero when idle. We finely tune our servers, and they operate on a tightly controlled dataset |
Storage | 0.00015 tCO₂e | Employ energy-efficient storage solutions and data lifecycle management practices |
Other | 0.0001 tCO₂e | - |
Hear from Co-Founder, CEO and Chief Technology Officer, Mark Caulfield:
Wider sustainability efforts
Product development
We have designed our SaaS platform with sustainability in mind, optimising it for energy efficiency and promoting digital solutions that help our customers reduce their environmental impact. By automating, streamlining and visualising land management projects, customers won’t need to print materials for stakeholders or internal use.
Procurement process
We prioritise working with suppliers and partners who share our commitment to sustainability. We choose to purchase locally when we can, supporting the community and reducing transportation distance.
Employee engagement
We believe that sustainability is a shared responsibility. Rethink Carbon engages all employees in our sustainability efforts by providing resources, and opportunities to contribute to sustainable practices in the workplace. We encourage employees to bring forward ideas and initiatives to further our sustainability goals.
Waste reduction
We minimise waste by promoting recycling, reducing paper usage, and encouraging digital documentation and communication. We also aim to minimise electronic waste through responsible procurement and disposal of electronic devices.
Customer interaction
At Rethink Carbon we collaborate with like-minded organisations to promote sustainability. Our customers must share a joint vision to ensure environmental, social and economic responsibility. We ensure to listen to our customers to make improvements.
Final word
Rethink Carbon is committed to continuous improvement in our sustainability practices. We will regularly review and assess our environmental and social impacts, set next steps for improvement, and report on our progress. We aim to stay informed about emerging sustainability best practice to ensure our approach remains relevant and effective. We aim to be transparent about our sustainability goals, achievements, and challenges, so our sustainability report is available publicly from our website footer. All Rethink Carbon employees, contractors, and suppliers are expected to adhere to social, environmental and economic responsibility. We will take appropriate action in the event of non-compliance and will work with all stakeholders to ensure that our sustainability standards are upheld.
Last updated 25 September 2025
Reported by Tessa Buckley