Sustainable Progress: Energy and Carbon
We are CarbonBetter, a minority-owned boutique energy and climate firm, helping organizations decarbonize and lead with impact. Each week, we share insights on sustainability, carbon markets, and climate solutions to help you stay inspired and informed on the journey to a better future. Follow us for weekly updates on all things climate, carbon and energy.
Materiality Assessments to Unlock Environmental Priorities
This article explains how materiality assessments help identify and prioritize the environmental (and ESG) issues that matter most to a company and its stakeholders. It provides real-world examples, from water savings in beverages to e-waste in electronics, and explains how the tool helps navigate trade‑offs, such as recyclable packaging vs. emissions from transportation. It also emphasizes collaborating with suppliers on key issues like sustainable farming and e-waste management
Why should you read it
Materiality assessments streamline sustainability strategies by aligning investments with areas of greatest impact and stakeholder concern. This targeted approach helps businesses focus resources where they yield maximum benefit, reducing risk, improving supplier relations, and enhancing brand reputation. Companies using materiality effectively can showcase efficient, credible ESG outcomes which can strengthen investor confidence and drive innovation in priority areas.
Carbon Emissions Intensity
This blog provides a clear overview of carbon emissions intensity; a metric that expresses greenhouse gas emissions per unit of output (e.g., g CO₂e per product, kWh, employee, or square foot). Unlike raw emissions totals, intensity offers contextual insight into how efficiently an organization operates, especially as it grows. The blog demonstrates how tracking emissions intensity, alongside absolute emissions, reveals real improvements. It also highlights how brands like BeatBox uses this metric to communicate environmental performance more effectively to consumers.
Why should you read it
Tracking carbon intensity allows businesses to benchmark their operations against peers. It provides a clear metric to drive efficiency improvements; like switching to renewables or optimizing processes. Lowering intensity can create cost savings, reduce regulatory exposure, and boost sustainability credentials with customers and investors. It also prepares companies for emerging carbon pricing or performance-based reporting standards.
Ways to Reduce Scope 3 Emissions
Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions that occur throughout a company’s value chain, such as from suppliers, transportation, product use, and end-of-life disposal. These emissions often account for more than 75% of a company’s total carbon footprint, making them critical to address. The post highlights practical strategies including working closely with suppliers, switching to local or low-emission materials, improving logistics efficiency, and redesigning packaging.
Why should you read it
Taking action on Scope 3 emissions strengthens business resilience by improving supply chain performance and reducing environmental risk. It enables companies to stay ahead of emerging regulations (Example: California’s SB 253, the SEC’s proposed climate rule, and the EU’s CSRD) that increasingly require disclosure of value chain emissions. In addition, companies that invest in Scope 3 reductions can achieve cost savings through efficiency improvements and gain reputational advantages with customers, investors, and partners. Those who lead on this front will be better positioned in a decarbonizing economy.
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Latest Insights on Carbon & Sustainability
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ABOUT US
We're a privately held firm focused on sustainability & decarbonization services, clean energy & carbon offset project consulting, and energy logistics services for Fortune 1000 companies, utilities, and other organizations that seek to make a positive impact. We're a creative and diverse team tackling the complex climate challenges that are changing our world by helping organizations transition to a net-zero future—accelerating the societal shifts that will save our planet.
We're proud to be the largest minority-owned business in Austin and one of the largest privately-owned business headquartered in Austin. Learn more at carbonbetter.com/about/.
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