C6. Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Code 7.0

Energy consumption and all relevant scopes 1 and 2 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are tracked and recorded. Participants are to look for cost-effective methods to improve energy efficiency and to minimize their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Elements to Demonstrate Compliance to RBA Code

1. Policy

Ensure the facility environmental policy includes energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions elements including:

• a. Energy consumption and all relevant scopes 1 and 2 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are tracked and recorded.

2. Procedures & Practices

Procedures & Practices are in place such that:

• a. The sources of electricity and other energy are documented, consumption recorded and accurate by source:
  • i. On-site combustion: oil, coal, diesel, natural gas, propane, garbage, etc.
  • ii. Copies of records of total quantity of fuel combusted on-site (or easily extrapolated from fuel bills and other purchased fuel records).
  • iii. Purchased electricity.
  • iv. Renewable energy use – if the facility purchases renewable energy through their utility company.
• b. Scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas emissions are documented, consumption recorded and accurate by source and with a description of its boundary.

3. Controls & Monitoring

Controls & Monitoring should include:

• a. Process and administrative controls are in place and effective.
• b. Ensure that there is no significant energy consumption or GHG emissions at the facility that are not tracked and recorded.
• c. Engineering controls are used where appropriate.
• d. GHG engineering control examples
  • i. Building automation technology, programmable thermostats, lighting controls, or energy-efficient heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation technology.
  • ii. Use of on-site combustion or vehicles that are fuel efficient or use a less GHG-intensive source (natural gas, ethanol, etc.).
  • iii. Purchasing or installing on-site renewable energy.
  • iv. Use of high-efficient collection/treatment systems to absorb/treat cleaning agents.
  • v. Use of refrigerants with low global warming potential (GWP) in Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems.

4. Records

Records are maintained including:

• a. Copies of records of total quantity of fuel combusted on-site (or easily extrapolated from fuel bills and other purchased fuel records)
• b. Purchased electricity records.
• c. Scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas emissions data documented and accurate by source with a description of its boundary.

1.1.0 (2022-06-01)

Removed

• Provision renumbered C8 to C6 and narrowed to Scope 1 and 2 tracked and recorded: Provision renumbered C8 to C6 and narrowed to 'energy consumption and all relevant Scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions are tracked and recorded'. The in-provision public reporting of a corporate-wide GHG footprint and the corporate GHG reduction goal were relocated to the Environment Management System provisions (C.M), and the separately rated cost-effective energy-efficiency reduction program (7.0.0 C8.2) was dropped as a standalone rated requirement, surviving only as 'engineering controls used where appropriate' site observations. Requirements were removed/relocated only; the requirement set is a strict subset of 7.0.0 — every prior pass still passes, hence minor.

1.0.0 (2021-01-01)

Changed

• Initial historical baseline — Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions (C8, RBA Code of Conduct 7.0): Earliest imported version of the criterion (provision C8 in VAP 7.0.0). Participants establish a corporate-wide GHG reduction goal; energy consumption and all relevant Scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions are tracked, documented, and publicly reported against that reduction goal. Includes a corporate-level or facility-level implementation, public reporting of a corporate-wide Scope 1 & 2 footprint, and a separately rated cost-effective energy-efficiency and GHG reduction program with annual objectives, tracking, and progress monitoring.