Measuring GHG emissions
February 10, 2022
“Nexio’s understanding of how different sustainability systems interconnect is invaluable – it’s enabled us to streamline our organisation-wide reporting activities to maximise efficiency.”
– Max Roodbol, Team Lead Risk, Compliance & Sustainability at Burando Atlantic Group
The maritime industry faces unique challenges in transitioning to more sustainable operations. Operating in a widely recognised ‘hard-to-abate’ sector, maritime companies must confront significant structural barriers when trying to reduce their environmental impact. For Burando Atlantic Group, this presented both a challenge and an opportunity: the chance to establish industry leadership while meeting evolving stakeholder demands for clear and comprehensive sustainability reporting.
Without an integrated sustainability framework, responding to increasingly complex client requests and regulatory requirements can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Burando Atlantic needed a comprehensive system that could encompass multiple frameworks – from greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories to EcoVadis ratings and double materiality analysis (DMA). Recognising this, the company partnered with Nexio Projects to develop and future-proof its sustainability management capabilities.
Check out our case study below for a closer look at how we contributed to Burando Atlantic Group’s ambitious sustainability goals.
Read on to discover how our support enabled Burando Atlantic to streamline its sustainability management system and drive competitive advantage.
From compliance to strategic sustainability management
Our partnership with Burando Atlantic began in 2023 when we provided comprehensive support for the company’s first EcoVadis assessment. A key aspect of our approach was translating complex sustainability frameworks into accessible language that different departments could understand and act on. “The sustainability world has its own terminology and methodology,” explains Max Roodbol, Team Lead Risk, Compliance & Sustainability at Burando Atlantic Group.
“Successful implementation requires translating this into ‘operations speak’ that technical teams and operational managers can understand.”
Through targeted trainings and expert guidance, alongside templates and frameworks tailored to the maritime context, we helped reframe sustainability discussions in terms of operational excellence, risk management and strategic opportunity – taking the EcoVadis certification requirements and making them accessible to teams without specialist knowledge. This foundation enabled consistent progress, with the company advancing to achieve an EcoVadis Gold Medal this year. However, our collaboration extended far beyond a single assessment to include a broader range of sustainability frameworks.
In our video series, Nexio Projects EcoVadis experts dive into details of enhancing your sustainability management system, increasing your EcoVadis score and more. Watch below!
Tackling technical complexity: GHG inventory and data integration
Alongside the EcoVadis assessment, we supported Burando Atlantic to conduct a comprehensive GHG emissions inventory, covering Scopes 1, 2 and 3 across their global organisation. “Once you start investigating what the carbon footprint assessment really is, the more you learn, and the more you know what you don’t know,” says Max. “We had to navigate different systems and departments, and Nexio’s support was essential.”
Obtaining the correct data required us to address a common operational challenge: siloed data systems, which complicate the process of creating a comprehensive corporate carbon footprint assessment. When primary data was not available, we also helped the team to choose the most appropriate calculation methodology, in line with established framework requirements.
This was essential to ensure that Burando’s GHG inventory was accepted as part of its EcoVadis submission. All sustainability frameworks – from EcoVadis to the GHG Protocol – have their own requirements that need to be ‘decoded’. Our comprehensive knowledge of these diverse systems, and their points of interconnection, provided the critical bridge between technical requirements and practical implementation.
Curious about how to tackle carbon emissions? Read our free guide now!
Driving organisational alignment through cross-functional engagement
Another key challenge beyond technical complexity was driving organisational buy-in. As is often the case, some teams and departments initially viewed sustainability work as an additional burden on top of their existing responsibilities. “Previously, it was harder to get colleagues on board when they did not understand the purpose of our sustainability initiatives,” Max recalls.
“Nexio Projects helped us to address this issue through skill-building workshops designed to foster internal alignment across business divisions. These brought together teams that had not collaborated on sustainability topics before, ensuring that everyone understood what was required of them while creating valuable opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration.”
One area where this was particularly helpful was Burando’s CSRD double materiality assessment, which required the cooperation of colleagues from many different business areas. Our training sessions brought different functions together to discuss sustainability priorities, helping teams discover opportunities for mutual support and creating a collaborative culture around sustainability topics. “The DMA really sparked something in the organisation,” Max notes. “The result was a company-wide shift in mindset and greater readiness for future EcoVadis assessments and GHG inventories.”
Our ESG reporting guide focuses on CSRD implementation, Double Materiality Assessments and more.
Strategic integration and future capability building
Rather than treating each framework as a separate project, we helped Burando Atlantic to understand the connections between each element of sustainability management. For example, the carbon footprint assessment informed the development of Burando’s environmental policy, while the EcoVadis assessment shaped its broader sustainability management systems. Meanwhile, the DMA findings influenced priority setting across all frameworks – as well as the development of the company’s sustainability report.
This integrated approach enabled greater efficiency and strategic coherence, meaning work done for one framework supported the others. “By reducing internal burden, making complex frameworks more accessible and building internal expertise, Nexio is helping us to scale up our sustainability efforts,” adds Max. “The core understanding and systems are in place.”
Key learnings for maritime and industrial companies
Burando Atlantic’s sustainability management journey offers valuable insights for other maritime and industrial companies navigating complex sustainability requirements:
Do not underestimate the scope
Successfully implementing sustainability management requires realistic timeline expectations and sustained commitment. “Don’t underestimate the amount of effort that’s required to undertake large-scale sustainability management and assessment projects, because it really takes a lot of time,” advises Max. “However, the outcome is more than worth it, from a business and sustainability perspective.”
Secure leadership support
Securing management backing is essential for success. “Being able to communicate the strategic value of our sustainability initiatives to management has helped a lot,” notes Max. “Without senior leadership commitment, resource allocation and organisational alignment are significantly more challenging.”
Invest in internal education
Significant time and resources are needed for colleague engagement and explanation. Cross-departmental collaboration should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen organisational alignment beyond sustainability topics.
Adapt to industry context
Generic sustainability frameworks often overlook the operational realities of specific industries. Ensuring that your approach is tailored to sector-specific challenges and operational complexities is essential. Understanding industry benchmarks and realistic improvement targets allows you to make meaningful progress.
Integrate sustainability management frameworks strategically
Address multiple sustainability requirements as interconnected components of a strategic management system rather than separate compliance exercises. This approach maximises efficiency, minimises effort and delivers strategic coherence.
Build for continuous improvement
Establish a strong strategic foundation that enables accelerated future progress rather than starting from scratch with each new initiative. This approach is essential for creating a long-term competitive advantage and securing potentially lucrative opportunities such as sustainability-linked financing.
A concrete roadmap for continuous improvement
With robust strategic foundations in place, Burando Atlantic is well-positioned to advance its sustainability journey with greater focus and impact. Immediate priorities include improving its carbon footprint through targeted emissions reductions, strengthening ESG policies, and tackling ongoing data management challenges. A renewed emphasis on internal knowledge sharing – including the development of a sustainability manual – will help further embed sustainability in the organisation’s DNA.
Of course, sustainability is not a fixed destination; it is a continual process of learning and improving. “The more you do, the more you see the opportunity to do more,” concludes Max.
“Working with Nexio Projects has really expanded our perspective and enhanced our capabilities.”
Together, we are enabling the company to consolidate its ongoing efforts into a unified strategy, initiate structured sustainability disclosures aligned with international standards and sharpen its sustainability leadership in the maritime sector.
Get to know Nexio Projects
At Nexio Projects, we’re your full-service ESG advisory partner supporting you at every stage of your sustainability journey. From setting climate ambitions to meeting regulatory requirements, we help organisations turn vision into action through tailored strategies, regulatory expertise, and hands-on support.
Recognised by Verdantix as one of the world’s top 10 boutique sustainability consultancies, our sustainability experts guided 400+ clients across 25+ sectors including shipping, manufacturing, chemicals, and consumer goods.
As an official EcoVadis strategic partner since 2018, we offer expert support whether you’re navigating your first assessment, aiming to improve your score, or looking to strengthen your broader ESG and climate reporting systems.
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