Explorative Study on Benchmarking Approaches for the Improvement of Corporate Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Using traditional benchmarking methods on the environmental impact of enterprises, carbon benchmarking aims to enable organizations to compare their individual carbon footprint with their peers. The insights gathered during that process allows enterprises to identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions about their carbon emissions using best practices from their industry section. This paper presents a systematic study of carbon benchmarking approaches and methodologies for the assessment, performance comparison and improvement of corporate greenhouse gas emissions. In a first step, a series of robust criteria are defined in order to respond to the specific requirements of effective carbon benchmarking, aiming for comparable and reliable results. Secondly, existing frameworks and methodologies for the assessment and performance comparison of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are explored through a systematic literature review. In a last step, the approaches identified are compared and evaluated by comparison group and scope. In this context, potential gaps are identified and further need for research in the field of corporate GHG reduction methods and approaches revealed.