GHG emissions assessment, energy audit: regulatory focus

GHG assessment and energy audit: companies with more than 500 employees (250 for overseas territories) or of a critical size must conduct these assessments every 4 years.

Marie Faucon
Consultante HSE
Publication : 
31.10.2019
Table of Contents
Example H2
Request a demo

Please note: This article concerns French legislation. The requirements described may not apply in other countries.

‍

In this article, we briefly review the key points of the regulations regarding the greenhouse gas emissions assessment and the energy audit.

GHG emissions assessment

Who is required to conduct an emissions assessment?

Conducting a greenhouse gas emissions assessment applies to private legal entities employing more than 500 people in metropolitan France or more than 250 people in overseas regions and departments.

The GHG assessment is public and has been updated every 4 years since the December 2015 reform, which aimed to align it with the frequency of energy audits.

Content of the GHG emissions assessment

The assessment must include:

  • an evaluation of the volume of GHG emissions(2), expressed in tonnes of CO2 equivalent, distinguishing between direct emissions (sources linked to the company's activity) and indirect emissions (sources linked to energy use);
  • the objectives and actions for reducing emissions, categorized by direct and indirect emission types.

The energy audit

Which companies are affected?

Companies with more than 250 employees OR with an annual turnover exceeding €50M and a balance sheet total exceeding €43M must conduct an energy audit.

The energy audit, just like the GHG assessment, is updated every 4 years. It was initially due by December 5, 2015, but the deadline was extended to June 30, 2016.

For companies with ISO 50001 certification, the energy audit is not mandatory; however, they must still submit their certificate on the platform within the same timeframe.

Requirements for conducting an energy audit

The energy audit must be carried out in accordance with the NF EN 16247-1:2012 standard. For building activities, industrial processes, and transport, three specific standards for each sector supplement it: NF EN 16247-2:2014 for buildings and NF EN 16247-3:2014 for transport.

An audit using building sampling is permitted according to the procedure defined in Annex 1 of the decree, provided that similar activities are carried out in different buildings.

The audit report must prioritize recommended actions based on opportunities for improving energy efficiency, taking into account the return on investment period.

In conclusion, you have found the essential information regarding the GHG emissions assessment and the energy audit.