Table Of ContentTHE HANDBOOK OF CARBON
MANAGEMENT
Every manager and every employee in every function can embed climate
solutions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This book, written by
experts in the field of sustainability in business, shows you how.
The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges we face today, and it
affects all aspects of business and society. Consequently, everyone needs to
know the best high-impact climate solutions that can be embedded into their
organisational area. In this book you will find ideas for your team, your
department and your organisation to make this a reality. We provide you with
implementation plans and inspiring case studies, with practical and helpful
tools that will help you to scale up climate solutions effectively and efficiently.
If you are an owner of a company or an executive in any organisation, you will
benefit from this step-by-step guide on how to set up your own greenhouse
gas management plan, how to set targets and how to reduce the greenhouse
gas emissions of your whole organisation. We explain key terms such as Net
Zero, Carbon Neutral, carbon emissions equivalents and the three scopes. In order to halve
our emissions worldwide by 2030 to achieve Net Zero by 2050, individual
actions on a large scale are required, but also systemic changes. We look at the
bigger picture in this book and also how you could effect change.
This is the first book to offer an easy-to-implement approach to decarbonise
organisations and transform societies, and is appropriate for managers at any
level. This book can also be used in business schools to inspire future managers
and business leaders. Last, but not least, everyone can find ideas here that they
can implement in their personal lives – let’s scale up together!
Petra Molthan-Hill, PhD is Professor of Sustainable Management and
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at Nottingham Business
School, Nottingham Trent University, UK and Co-Chair of the United
Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Working
Group on Climate Change and Environment. She is an international
multi-award-winning expert for Climate Change Mitigation Education,
Greenhouse Gas Management and ESD. Molthan-Hill leads the ‘Climate
Literacy Training for Educators, Communities, Organisations and Students’
(CLT-ECOS) distributed worldwide. She is the editor of The Business Student’s
Guide to Sustainable Management and of Storytelling for Sustainability in Higher Education:
An Educator’s Handbook and led the Green Academy at NTU from 2013–2021.
Fiona Winfield is the School Employability Manager at Nottingham
Business School, Nottingham Trent University, and is a Principal Lecturer
and a Senior Fellow HEA. Before moving into academia, she spent a decade
in sales and marketing in the construction industry. She is involved with
Young Enterprise and Enactus, is a Green Gown Award winner (for linking
Employability to Sustainability) and a member of the Chartered Management
Institute. At NTU, she is part of the Sustainable Development Academic
Forum and the Sustainability task group within Employability.
Richard Howarth is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Nottingham Business
School, Nottingham Trent University. He is an Assistant Course Leader for
BA (Hons) Marketing and works closely with organisations and professional
bodies (such as the CIM and MRS) to enhance the employability and
workplace impacts of students and graduates. He is the Sustainability
Coordinator for the Marketing Department. His research interests are
related to marketer competences, education for sustainable development,
responsible marketer behaviour, sustainability and employability and related
learning and teaching interventions.
Muhammad Mazhar is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainability at Nottingham
Business School, Nottingham Trent University. He is also the Sustainability
Coordinator of the Business School, aiming to help embed sustainability in
teaching, research, operational and partnership activities. By background, he
is a Civil Engineer with a B.E. in Civil Engineering and MSc. in Construction
Management. He received a PhD in Sustainability and Carbon Management.
His interest is in sustainability, energy and carbon management, education
for sustainable development and low-carbon smart cities.
‘Climate change is the existential issue of our age, but with many struggling for
guidance this book is a useful and accessible guide to practical actions
organisations can take around carbon literacy, reporting and projects to reduce
their footprint.’
Andrew Jack, Global Education Editor, Financial Times
‘A carbon constrained future is inevitable. For businesses it is a question of
competitiveness and survival. This Handbook is a true treasure chest, providing
guidance for how to go about it. A must read for executives and practitioners!’
Georg Kell, Founder and former Executive Director of the
United Nations Global Compact; Chairman, Arabesque Partners
‘This is a refreshingly practical handbook for the many leaders, at all levels, who
want to put their organisations in greater service of people and planet – but who
don’t know how. The clear focus on solutions rings loud.’
Paul Polman, Business leader, campaigner and co-author of Net Positive
Net Positive ‘A bold resource for contemporary business leaders, this specific yet
thorough guide shows how every business can reduce its carbon emissions now
and thrive on green energy in the long run.’
Rae André, Professor,
Northeastern University D’Amore-McKim School of Business;
author of Lead for the Planet: Five Practices for Confronting Climate Change
‘Finally, a book I have been waiting for. Changing a company’s strategy and an
individual’s mindset on transferring into a sustainable business and behaviour is a
complex project. This book gives you well-structured guidelines and covers all
required aspects for a considered approach. There is no Planet B – with this book you
can get started.’
Marc Oliver Nissen, Director, LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Germany
‘Governments, businesses, and universities don’t act, people do. The Handbook of Carbon
Management empowers employees across industries to incorporate climate solutions in
the way we live and work.’
Elena Crete, Head of Climate & Energy Program, UN SDSN
‘Climate literacy, as illustrated in this book, has become critical knowledge not
only for the leaders in organisations to drive the necessary change, but also for
those affected by the change to understand the bigger picture, and therefore
improve the likelihood of a successful transformation of the organisation.’
Joris-Johann Lenssen, Project Lead Business & Society,
ZiviZ im Stifterverband (Berlin); Former Managing Director
of ABIS – The Academy of Business in Society (Brussels)
‘This book highlights the importance of effective communication when it comes
to climate change, and how marketing is key to changing the course we are on.
From educating and raising awareness to shaping new behaviours, both internally
and externally, the skillsets of marketers cannot be underestimated.’
Gemma Butler, Marketing Director, CIM
‘The Handbook of Carbon Management does an excellent job in arguing the case for the
rapid reform that is so desperately needed if we are to respond successfully to the
chronic and catastrophic climate collapse that is taking place all around us.’
Andy Agathangelou, Founder, Transparency Task Force
‘The most frequent question I get asked in my work is not “Shall we act on
climate?” but “What should we do?” Having such a comprehensive overview of
the best actions that people and organisations can undertake is a really valuable
addition to the resources we all need to tackle the climate crisis.’
Phil Korbel, Co-Founder &
Director of Advocacy, Carbon Literacy Project
‘If you think that climate change is too abstract for you to do anything about it, read
this book. This handbook provides a rich resource of concrete inspiration about
climate change and how anyone working in an organization can contribute. The book
analyses the urgent need for all of us to act and it admirably guides us how to act. This
is a book with a clear ambition to have societal impact.’
Dr Mette Morsing, Head of PRME Principles for Responsible
Management Education, United Nations Global Compact
‘This book is an excellent resource to raise awareness of carbon management. It is
essential for all who teach or study any function of business and management,
including accounting, banking and finance, supply chain management, marketing
and communications, human resource management, strategy and leadership. It
provides practical solutions for organisations and individuals to bring about true
systemic change in carbon management.’
Professor Liz Crolley, Chair of QAA Review of Subject
Benchmark Statements for Business and Management
‘This handbook provides inspiration for current and future leaders with actionable
steps they can take to implement climate solutions in their work. It is therefore
invaluable not only for practitioners, but also students and researchers, potentially
benefitting an organisation’s financial situation, as well as the environment.’
Stephen Snider, Sustainable Finance Lead, oikos International
‘Whether you’re new to Carbon Management or have experience in the area, this
concisely written book offers you the overview and knowledge you need to take
some concrete, practical steps towards reducing your organisation’s climate
impact.’
Richard Holmes, MEI, MIEMA, C.Env.,
Carbon Management Consultant & Trainer
‘This handbook is a must read for everybody who wants to tackle the climate crisis
in their workplace. By taking us step by step through the thinking and action
needed to embed solutions in strategy and operations, it helps to make sense of the
complex, interrelated nature of the change at hand, so we can all turn ambition
into impact.’
Gudrun Cartwright, Climate Action Director, BiTC
‘This book provides a most useful resource and reference for anyone motivated to
address the most pressing threat to the quality of life on our planet. It positively
contributes to the process of change needed to generate the paradigm shift in human
activity that is urgently required.’
Colin Crawford, CMLI – Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute
‘We are living at a time when a fast-growing part of humanity is realizing the havoc
our current approaches deal on our livelihood – clients, consumers, investors,
politicians, and employees alike. Urgently needed, this handbook provides practical
advice on high impact climate solutions that any manager in any organisation can
implement to avoid the worst and move towards a positive future.’
Klemens Höppner, CFA, CESFi, Co-Founder & Managing Director,
Mindful Finance Institute
‘The Handbook of Carbon Management is the book for any manager to get on the right
track in reducing their organisation’s carbon impact with its simple and smart
quick wins, contributing to a much-needed change from Day 1.’
Favian Munday Alvarado, Project Manager (Toulouse),
Graduate in Architecture (Mexico) and Sustainable Building (France)
THE HANDBOOK OF CARBON
MANAGEMENT
A Step-by-Step Guide to High-Impact
Climate Solutions for Every
Manager in Every Function
Petra Molthan-Hill, Fiona Winfield,
Richard Howarth and
Muhammad Mazhar
Designed cover image: Getty Images / Rawpixel
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Petra Molthan-Hill, Fiona Winfield, Richard Howarth and
Muhammad Mazhar
The right of Petra Molthan-Hill, Fiona Winfield, Richard Howarth and
Muhammad Mazhar to be identified as authors of this work has been
asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Molthan-Hill, Petra, author. | Winfield, Fiona, author. | Howarth,
Richard B., author.
Title: The handbook of carbon management : a step-by-step guide to high-
impact climate solutions for every manager in every function / Petra
Molthan-Hill, Fiona Winfield, Richard Howarth and Muhammad Mazhar.
Description: New York, NY : Routledge, 2023. | Includes bibliographical
references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2022037806 (print) | LCCN 2022037807 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032227610 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032227603 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781003274049 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Management‐‐Environmental aspects. | Carbon dioxide
mitigation. | Greenhouse gases‐‐Environmental aspects. | Strategic
planning.
Classification: LCC HD30.255 .M65 2023 (print) | LCC HD30.255
(ebook) | DDC 658.4/0830218‐‐dc23/eng/20220811
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022037806
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022037807
ISBN: 978-1-032-22761-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-22760-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-27404-9 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003274049
Typeset in Joanna
by MPS Limited, Dehradun
Access the companion website: www.routledge.com/cw/molthan-hill
IT’S REAL. IT’S US. EXPERTS AGREE. IT’S BAD. THERE’S HOPE.
(John Cook et al 2019)1
To Eric, Ansgar and Kiera with the hope that you will have a good
future!
–Petra Molthan-Hill
To John, Jack and Kate for all your support and numerous cups of tea
–Fiona Winfield
To Erika, Frances and Tom with all my love – Uncle Quentin!
–Aka Richard Howarth
To Hoorain, Mehwish, Shahnaz and Mazhar for your continuous
support over the years
–Muhammad Mazhar
1 Cook, J., Supran, G., Lewandowsky, S., Oreskes, N., & Maibach, E. (2019). America Misled:
How the fossil fuel industry deliberately misled Americans about climate change. Fairfax, VA: George
Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. Available at https://
www.climatechangecommunication.org/america-misled/
