Vantaa Energy started preparing for the requirements of the CSRD well in advance by implementing a greenhouse gas inventory in accordance with the directive. By familiarizing themselves with the calculations before the obligation to submit a report begins and refining the process, there will be more time left during the reporting period to focus on core business needs.

Vantaa Energy is one of Finland’s largest urban energy companies, producing and transmitting electricity and district heating, and offering energy and circular economy services to its customers. More than half of the district heating produced by Vantaa Energy comes from waste, and most of its electricity is generated from renewable or emission-free energy sources.

Vantaa Energy is transitioning under the scope of the CSRD

Vantaa Energy wanted to implement a greenhouse gas emissions inventory that includes the organization’s scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. The need for this calculation arose from tightening regulation: the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires Vantaa Energy to report 2025 data in accordance with the directive’s requirements. Although there is still plenty of time before the obligation to submit a report begins, the complexity of scope 3 calculations prompted them to start the process now.

“Combating climate change is one of the most essential sustainability themes in our operations, and we wanted to determine at an early stage the greenhouse gas emissions of all our activities, including our supply chains”, says Laura Ikäheimo, the leading environmental and sustainability expert at Vantaa Energy.

How was the project implemented?

OpenCO2net conducted greenhouse gas emissions calculations in compliance with the requirements of the CSRD, taking into account the ESRS E1 standard requirements. In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, requirements for reporting energy production and distribution were also considered. The emission calculation requirements of the ESRS E1 standard follow the GHG Protocol standards, which are also the basis for the calculation tools of the OpenCO2.net platform.

The calculation also utilized the comprehensive emissions database of OpenCO2.net, which includes over 4,500 up-to-date emission factors validated by experts. The calculation project was extensive, requiring abundant data from various power and heating plants. The process involved a lot of collaboration with experts from OpenCO2net.

Starting the project well in advance streamlines the data collection and calculations for the coming years as the process improves with each calculation. Everything will be ready when Vantaa Energy enters the scope of the CSRD in 2025.

“The project went excellently. We obtained a good foundation from the calculation results for developing our greenhouse gas emissions reduction pathway and planning new measures. This spring, we started one of our most significant greenhouse gas emission reduction projects, the construction of the world’s largest thermal energy storage, Varanto”, concludes Ikäheimo.

OpenCO2net Oy provides tools and services for carbon footprint calculations. Our calculators and calculations are based on the world’s most recognized standards, as well as a comprehensive emissions database with emission factors validated by our experts.