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In this article, we briefly review the key points of the regulations governing greenhouse gas emissions and energy audits.
GHG emissions assessment
Who is concerned by the emissions report?
GHG emissions assessments are required for private-sector legal entities employing more than 500 people in mainland France, or more than 250 people in the French overseas regions and departments.
The GHG balance sheet is public and updated every 4 years since the reform in December 2015 aimed at aligning with the periodicity of energy audits.
Contents of the GHG emissions report
The balance sheet must contain :
- an assessment of the volume of GHG(2) emissions, expressed in equivalent tons of CO2, distinguishing between direct emissions (sources linked to the company's activity) and indirect emissions (sources linked to energy use);
- emission reduction targets and actions, broken down into direct and indirect emission categories.
Energy audit
Which companies are concerned?
Companies with more than 250 employees OR sales in excess of €50 million and balance sheets in excess of €43 million are required to carry out an energy audit.
Like the GHG balance, the energy audit is updated every 4 years. Initially, it was due by December 5, 2015, but the deadline has been extended to June 30, 2016.
ISO 50001-certified companies are not required to carry out an energy audit, but must still submit their certificate to the platform within the same timeframe.
Conditions for carrying out an energy audit
The energy audit must be carried out in accordance with NF EN 16247-1:2012. For building activities, industrial processes and transport, three sector-specific standards complete it: NF EN 16247-2:2014 Buildings, NF EN 16247-3:2014 Transport.
An audit by sampling buildings is possible according to the procedure defined in appendix 1 of the order, when similar activities are carried out in different buildings.
The audit report must prioritize the recommended actions according to the opportunities for improving energy efficiency, taking into account the payback time.
To conclude, you will have been able to find some informative but necessary information on the GHG emissions balance and the energy audit.