Find out whether the role is reporting, operations or communications
Look for tasks such as collecting utility data, checking supplier responses, preparing an inventory or documenting calculation methods. Those differ from writing sustainability communications or designing an engineering improvement.
GHG Protocol's Corporate Standard provides a framework for organizational emissions inventories. Its Scope 2 Guidance concerns purchased or acquired electricity, steam, heat and cooling. Ask which framework, period and organizational boundary the employer uses; the existence of a standard does not by itself establish a legal reporting obligation.
Example: the same number in the wrong unit creates a thousandfold error
For arithmetic practice only, use a made-up factor of 0.4 kilograms of carbon-dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour. Do not use that factor for a real inventory. Facility A uses 120,000 kWh; Facility B uses 80 MWh.
| Facility | Reported activity | Activity in kWh | Modeled result |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 120,000 kWh | 120,000 | 48,000 kg = 48 metric tonnes |
| B | 80 MWh | 80,000 | 32,000 kg = 32 metric tonnes |
| Total | Mixed units: do not add directly | 200,000 | 80,000 kg = 80 metric tonnes |
Convert B to 80,000 kWh before applying the factor. Its result is 32,000 kilograms, or 32 metric tonnes. Multiplying 80 directly by 0.4 would give 32 kilograms, understating B by a factor of 1,000.
The combined result is 80 metric tonnes under these fictional assumptions. Correct arithmetic does not establish that the factor, reporting method or included sites are appropriate. Those are separate review questions.
Keep the original quantity next to the converted quantity
Record the facility, activity, original amount and unit, normalized amount, period, source document and method. A reviewer should be able to follow the conversion without reconstructing your assumptions.
Mark a missing month as missing, not zero. If you use an approved estimate, retain the original gap, the estimate method and the reviewer. Also identify whether the value came from a meter, supplier estimate or internal model; those sources do not provide identical evidence.
Lower electricity per product does not necessarily mean lower electricity use
Suppose Facility A's use rises from 100,000 to 120,000 kWh while output rises from 5,000 to 8,000 units. Total electricity use increases 20%, but electricity per unit falls from 20 to 15 kWh, a 25% decline.
Report both when relevant. Neither change establishes the cause; product mix, utilization or measurement changes could matter. Check that the same facilities, period length and output definition are used before describing a trend as an efficiency improvement.
Prepare a calculation someone can challenge
Build the two-facility example with a source register and a short methods note. Add a duplicate record, missing month and unit mismatch, then show how you would detect and resolve each. Use synthetic records rather than private utility bills or supplier data.
Ask the manager which calculation or reporting record you would maintain and who handles methodological questions. In an interview, explain the unit error separately from the factor and boundary questions. Describe the sample as practice, not an assured inventory or verified emissions reduction.