Our Carbon Journey
From carbon neutrality to measurable reduction
Sustainability has been part of Pureprint’s story for more than three decades. But our approach to carbon has evolved significantly over that time.
We began by understanding and taking responsibility for the environmental impact of print. Today, our focus is increasingly on measuring that impact in greater detail, reducing emissions at source, and using better data to understand where further improvements can be made.
2002: becoming the world’s first CarbonNeutral® printer
In 2002, Pureprint became the world’s first CarbonNeutral® printer.
This was an important milestone, but it was never intended to be the end of the journey. Carbon neutrality gave us a framework for measuring our emissions and taking responsibility for those that remained after reduction measures.
Over the years, we have continued to invest in more efficient technology, responsible materials, waste reduction, renewable and lower-carbon energy options, and more efficient production processes.
From offsetting to reduction
Our approach today is increasingly focused on decarbonisation rather than simply balancing emissions.
We measure our greenhouse gas emissions using recognised methodologies, including the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1, and work with independent carbon specialists to improve the accuracy and transparency of our reporting.
Our Carbon Reduction Plan reports our Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant Scope 3 emissions, while our wider carbon reporting programme continues to develop.
We have also set science-based emissions reduction targets, providing a clear pathway for reducing our operational and value-chain emissions over the longer term.
Measuring what matters
Our carbon footprint is not limited to the energy used within our buildings.
Depending on the reporting boundary and methodology, greenhouse gas emissions can arise from:
- Energy and fuel used in our operations
- Purchased electricity
- Materials and paper
- Transportation
- Waste
- Business travel
- Employee commuting and homeworking
- Other activities across our value chain
This is why measuring Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions is so important. It gives us a much broader understanding of where our environmental impact comes from and where action can make the greatest difference.
Where we’re going next
Our next stage is about making carbon data increasingly useful and actionable.
We are developing our approach to job-level carbon reporting so that customers can understand the carbon impact associated with individual print projects and use that information within their own sustainability and Scope 3 reporting.
Our ambition is simple:
Measure better. Reduce more. Report transparently. Help our customers do the same.
Our carbon journey has moved from taking responsibility for our impact to actively using data, technology and collaboration to reduce it.
What Does CarbonNeutral® Mean?
Understanding CarbonNeutral® certification
Pureprint became the world’s first CarbonNeutral® printer in 2002 and has maintained its CarbonNeutral® certification for more than two decades.
But what does CarbonNeutral® actually mean?
Put simply, CarbonNeutral® certification requires an organisation to measure its greenhouse gas emissions, take action to reduce them, and address the emissions that remain through independently verified climate projects in accordance with the CarbonNeutral Protocol.
CarbonNeutral® does not mean “zero emissions”
This distinction matters.
Being CarbonNeutral® does not mean that an organisation produces no greenhouse gas emissions. Our operations still generate emissions through activities such as energy use, fuel, transportation and other parts of our value chain.
Instead, CarbonNeutral® certification means that the emissions included within the certification boundary have been measured and the remaining footprint has been addressed through recognised carbon reduction or removal projects.
For Pureprint, this is part of a wider climate strategy rather than a substitute for reducing emissions.
Reduction comes first
Our approach has increasingly shifted towards reducing emissions at source.
We measure our emissions annually and use the results to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency, reduce resource consumption, optimise production and transportation, and work with suppliers to address value-chain emissions.
We also have science-based reduction targets that provide a longer-term framework for decarbonisation.
Independent measurement and verification
Our carbon footprint is calculated using recognised methodologies and emissions factors.
Our most recent CarbonNeutral® assessment was prepared by Nero Carbon using the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1 methodologies. For the 2024 assessment year, our market-based greenhouse gas inventory was calculated at approximately 2,446 tonnes of CO₂e, which was the volume addressed through the CarbonNeutral® certification process.
The assessment also used 85% primary data, helping to improve the accuracy and transparency of the reported footprint.
CarbonNeutral® and Net Zero are not the same thing
Carbon neutrality and net zero are related but different concepts.
Our CarbonNeutral® certification addresses our measured emissions through the CarbonNeutral Protocol.
Our science-based net-zero target is focused on the much longer-term reduction of emissions across our value chain. The objective is to reduce emissions substantially rather than relying on compensation as the primary mechanism for achieving the target.
For Pureprint, the direction of travel is therefore clear:
Measure → Reduce → Report → Address remaining emissions → Continue reducing
CarbonNeutral® certification is one part of that journey. Our science-based targets provide the longer-term pathway.
Understanding Scope 1, 2 and 3
What are Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions?
If you’ve ever looked at a company’s carbon footprint, you’ll probably have seen references to Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3.
These three categories are used within the GHG Protocol to help organisations understand where their greenhouse gas emissions come from.
Put simply:
Scope 1 = emissions we create directly
Scope 2 = emissions associated with the energy we purchase
Scope 3 = other indirect emissions across our value chain
Understanding the difference matters because reducing carbon emissions effectively starts with understanding where those emissions come from.
Scope 1 – Direct emissions
Scope 1 covers emissions from sources that an organisation owns or directly controls.
For a manufacturing business such as Pureprint, this can include emissions from:
- Natural gas used within our facilities
- LPG used in operational equipment
- Fuel used by company vehicles
- Other directly controlled sources of fuel combustion
These are emissions we can influence directly through the way we operate our facilities, equipment and vehicles.
Reducing Scope 1 emissions can involve measures such as improving energy efficiency, replacing or upgrading equipment, reducing fossil-fuel use and transitioning vehicles towards lower-emission alternatives.
Scope 2 – Purchased energy
Scope 2 covers the indirect emissions associated with purchased energy, principally electricity.
Although the emissions are generated by the energy producer rather than directly at our facilities, the energy we purchase contributes to our overall carbon footprint.
For Pureprint, electricity is particularly important because print production is an energy-intensive process.
We therefore monitor electricity consumption across our operations and use supplier-specific energy information where available when calculating our market-based Scope 2 emissions.
Our approach is not simply to offset these emissions. Our priority is to reduce the amount of energy we use and progressively reduce the carbon intensity of the energy we purchase.
Scope 3 – Our wider value chain
Scope 3 is where carbon accounting becomes more complex.
Scope 3 includes indirect emissions that occur elsewhere in an organisation’s value chain. For a print and marketing business, these can include emissions associated with:
- Purchased paper and other materials
- Capital goods and equipment
- Transportation
- Waste
- Business travel
- Employee commuting and homeworking
- End-of-life treatment of products
For Pureprint, purchased goods and services are particularly significant because the materials we purchase, especially paper and other substrates, form an important part of the overall carbon footprint of our products.
This is why meaningful carbon reduction cannot happen solely within our own factories. It requires collaboration with suppliers, customers and logistics partners across the wider value chain.
Why does this matter to our customers?
Your organisation’s Scope 3 emissions can include emissions associated with the products and services you purchase.
That means the environmental performance of your print supplier can contribute to your own carbon footprint.
By improving our own carbon measurement and reduction programme, and by developing more detailed product-level carbon reporting, we aim to give customers better information about the environmental impact of their print.
This can help organisations make more informed decisions about materials, quantities, production methods and distribution; and support their own sustainability and Scope 3 reporting.
How Pureprint measures emissions
We work with specialist carbon consultants to measure our greenhouse gas emissions using recognised methodologies, including the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1.
Our emissions reporting covers Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant Scope 3 categories, with data collected across our operations and supported by environmental and operational records.
We continually review the quality and completeness of our data and look for opportunities to increase the use of primary data, improve accuracy and strengthen our reporting.
Our goal is to move beyond simply reporting our footprint towards using carbon data to make better operational decisions.
From measurement to reduction
Measuring emissions is only the starting point.
Our carbon strategy is focused on understanding where our largest impacts occur, identifying practical opportunities to reduce them and tracking progress against science-based targets.
We’re also developing our approach to job-level carbon reporting so that customers can increasingly understand the carbon impact of individual print projects.
Better data leads to better decisions, and better decisions lead to lower-impact print.
Explore further
Our Science Based Targets →
Our Carbon Reduction Plan →
What does CarbonNeutral® mean? →
Explore sustainable materials and circularity →
Our Science Based Targets
Turning ambition into measurable action
Setting a net-zero ambition is important. But ambition on its own isn’t enough.
Science-based targets give organisations a measurable pathway for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with climate science.
Pureprint has validated science-based emissions reduction targets, providing a clear framework for reducing the carbon impact of our operations and moving towards our long-term net-zero goal.
What are science-based targets?
Science-based targets define how much and how quickly an organisation needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to align with the goals of climate science.
Rather than choosing an arbitrary percentage reduction, science-based target-setting uses recognised climate science and methodologies to establish an appropriate emissions reduction pathway.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) provides the standards, guidance and validation framework used by organisations around the world.
Find out more about science-based targets on the Science Based Targets initiative https://sciencebasedtargets.org/ website and explore the SBTi Target Dashboard https://sciencebasedtargets.org/target-dashboard to see which organisations have committed to or set validated targets.
Our targets
Pureprint’s targets establish both a near-term reduction pathway and a longer-term net-zero pathway.
Near-term target
We have committed to reducing our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by at least 42% by 2030, measured against our 2022 baseline.
This focuses attention on the emissions we can influence most directly through our own operations and energy use.
Long-term target
We are committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2045.
Our long-term pathway requires a substantial reduction in our total greenhouse gas emissions across Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant Scope 3 emissions, with residual emissions addressed in line with the requirements of our net-zero pathway.
Why does this matter?
Our science-based targets turn sustainability from an aspiration into something that can be measured and managed.
They provide a framework for:
- Setting clear emissions reduction milestones
- Tracking progress over time
- Identifying where the greatest reductions can be achieved
- Supporting investment in lower-carbon technologies and processes
- Engaging suppliers in reducing value-chain emissions
- Giving customers greater confidence in our approach to decarbonisation
They also recognise an important reality for a manufacturing business: a significant proportion of our environmental impact sits outside our direct operations.
Reducing emissions therefore requires action across our supply chain as well as within our own facilities.
From targets to action
Our targets are supported by a programme of practical initiatives, including:
Energy efficiency
Improving the efficiency of our production equipment and operations and reducing energy consumption.
Lower-carbon energy
Exploring opportunities to increase the use of renewable electricity and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Operational efficiency
Using technology, automation and data to reduce waste, unnecessary production, energy use and resource consumption.
Materials and supply chain
Working with suppliers to understand and reduce emissions associated with purchased materials and services.
Transport and travel
Looking for opportunities to reduce emissions associated with company vehicles, business travel and logistics.
Better carbon data
Improving the quality and granularity of our emissions data, including our plans for job-level carbon reporting.
What happens next?
Science-based targets are not a finish line.
Our focus is now on implementation: turning the targets into measurable annual reductions and continually improving the quality of the data we use to track our progress.
As our carbon measurement develops, we will be able to provide greater transparency around our performance and increasingly help customers understand the carbon implications of their own print choices.
We don’t see our targets as a badge. We see them as a management tool for driving real reduction.
Explore further
Our Carbon Reduction Plan →
Understanding Scope 1, 2 and 3 →
What does CarbonNeutral® mean? →
Visit the Science Based Targets initiative → https://sciencebasedtargets.org/
Note: Luke, I’ve deliberately made the “targets → action → what happens next” section quite prominent. I think it’s important for the story we’re building for the website and King’s Award: we haven’t just got SBTi approval; we’re using it to drive change.
Our Carbon Reduction Plan
A transparent plan for reducing our emissions
A Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) sets out an organisation’s greenhouse gas emissions, its commitment to reducing them and the actions it intends to take to achieve Net Zero.
For Pureprint, our Carbon Reduction Plan is an important part of how we measure, manage and communicate our progress on carbon reduction.
It brings together our emissions data, reduction targets and planned initiatives in a format that provides transparency for customers, procurement teams and other stakeholders.
What is a Carbon Reduction Plan?
Carbon Reduction Plans were introduced by the UK Government through Procurement Policy Note 006 (PPN 006), formerly PPN 06/21, as part of the Government’s approach to taking account of carbon reduction commitments when procuring major contracts.
The framework requires relevant suppliers to disclose their organisational carbon footprint, demonstrate a commitment to Net Zero and set out the measures they are taking to reduce emissions.
CRPs are designed to be living documents rather than a one-off exercise. They should be reviewed and updated regularly, with annual publication providing transparency around progress.
Explore the UK Government’s Carbon Reduction Plan guidance and template → https://www.gca.gov.uk/social-value/carbon-net-zero/how-to-create-a-carbon-reduction-plan-crp
Our commitment
Pureprint is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2045.
Our Carbon Reduction Plan provides the supporting detail behind this commitment, including our emissions baseline, current emissions, science-based reduction targets and carbon reduction initiatives.
Our reporting follows recognised carbon accounting methodologies, including the GHG Protocol, and incorporates Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant Scope 3 emissions.
Measuring our carbon footprint
Our published Carbon Reduction Plan establishes a baseline against which our progress can be measured.
Our current reporting includes:
Scope 1
Direct emissions from sources such as natural gas and company-controlled fuel use.
Scope 2
Indirect emissions associated with purchased electricity.
Scope 3
Relevant indirect emissions across our wider value chain, including purchased goods and services, transportation, waste, business travel, employee commuting and end-of-life treatment.
Our carbon footprint is independently supported by specialist carbon measurement expertise, with our wider GHG reporting undertaken using recognised methodologies and emissions factors.
From baseline to reduction
Our CRP isn’t simply a record of emissions. It provides the framework for reducing them.
Our reduction programme includes initiatives such as:
- Improving energy efficiency across our production operations
- Investing in more energy-efficient machinery and technology
- Reducing material waste and improving resource efficiency
- Increasing the use of lower-impact and responsibly sourced materials
- Developing our approach to renewable electricity
- Exploring lower-emission company vehicles and travel
- Working with suppliers to address Scope 3 emissions
- Increasing closed-loop recycling and material recovery
- Using technology and operational data to reduce unnecessary production and resource use
The largest opportunities for reducing our overall footprint increasingly sit within our value chain, particularly purchased goods and services. This means that supplier engagement and collaboration will be an important part of our long-term decarbonisation strategy.
Measuring progress
Our Carbon Reduction Plan is reviewed and updated regularly so that our reported footprint and reduction programme remain current.
We track progress against our science-based targets and use the information generated through our carbon reporting to identify further opportunities for improvement.
As our data becomes more detailed, we are also developing the capability to provide customers with more granular information about the carbon impact of individual print projects.
Note: Luke, I’ve chased Nero carbon up for our latest CRP
Transparency matters
We believe carbon reporting should be understandable, evidence-based and transparent.
That’s why we make our Carbon Reduction Plan available to customers and other stakeholders rather than treating it as an internal compliance document.
It allows customers, procurement teams and partners to see:
- Where our emissions come from
- How we measure them
- The targets we have committed to
- The actions we’re taking to reduce them
- How our approach is evolving
Our Carbon Reduction Plan is part of a wider journey: measure, reduce, report, improve, and keep going.
Explore further
Download our latest Carbon Reduction Plan →
Understanding Scope 1, 2 and 3 →
Our Science Based Targets →
What does CarbonNeutral® mean? →
Explore our Sustainability Journey →