How to Navigate Your Audit Report

The audit report includes everything required to review and validate your carbon footprint calculations:

Inputs – The spend or activity data you’ve added to Trace’s platform.
Methodology – The emissions factor used, including its source, year, and any assumptions applied.
Outputs – The calculated emissions results, so you can spot-check and validate.

The key calculation formulas are spread across three columns:

Column L → Inputs (note: there may be multiple inputs, e.g. monthly kWh usage).
Column J → Emissions factor.
Column M → Calculated tonnes CO₂.

The calculation always follows this structure:

(Column L inputs, multiplied together) × Column J = Column M

Example:
If column L shows:

You’ll need to multiply those numbers together before applying the emissions factor from column J. The result appears in column M.

Some calculations require assumptions. For example, for working-from-home electricity we use:

Assumption value → An employee uses 11 kWh per day when working from home. (Listed in column L)
Assumption source → The reference or study used to justify the assumption. (Listed in column O)

By reviewing the audit report, you can:

👉 Tip: We’re working on a new version of the audit report that will be clearer and easier to navigate. Stay tuned!

The audit report is designed to give you full visibility into how your carbon inventory has been calculated. This article explains what’s included, how to interpret the formulas, and where to find assumptions.