Target Progress

How the CRD platform measures progress toward emissions reduction targets

The Reduction Journey

A company sets a base year (starting point) and a target year (finish line). Progress is measured by how far actual emissions have fallen relative to the reduction goal.

2020Base Year10,000 tCO2e

Expected50% of timeline

Actual (60%)7,000 tCO2e

2030Target Year5,000 tCO2e

Ahead of schedule

Expected linear position

Behind schedule

Worked Example

A company targeting a 50% reduction in Scope 1+2 emissions from 2020 to 2030.

Base Year Emissions (2020)

10,000 tCO2e

Current Emissions (2025)

7,000 tCO2e

Target Emissions (2030)

5,000 tCO2e

Step 1: Actual Reduction

((10,000 - 7,000) / 10,000) x 100 = 30%

Step 2: Progress Toward Target

(30 / 50) x 100 = 60% progress

0%Progress toward 50% reduction target100%

60%

No reductionTarget achieved

What Does “On Track” Mean?

The platform checks whether actual reductions are keeping pace with where they should be, assuming steady linear progress over time.

The Linear Assumption

Think of it like a weight loss goal: if you need to lose 50 pounds over 10 months, a linear expectation says you should have lost 25 pounds by month 5. If you have already lost 30 pounds, you are ahead of schedule. If only 20 pounds, you are behind.

Expected Reduction by 2025

(5 years / 10 years) x 50% = 25%

Half the timeline elapsed, so half the target reduction expected

On-Track Check

Actual 30% >= Expected 25%?

Yes, On Track

Ahead

Actual reduction exceeds the expected linear reduction for the elapsed time.

On Track

Actual reduction is close to or matches the expected linear reduction.

Behind

Actual reduction is below the expected linear reduction. Acceleration needed.

Which Emissions Are Counted?

Each target specifies which GHG emission scopes it covers. The system sums the relevant scope values for both the base year and the current period.

The system determines which emission scopes to include by parsing the target'sscopeCoveredfield. The relevant scope emissions are summed for both the base year and the current year.

Target Covers	Scope 1	Scope 2	Scope 3	Description
Scope 1 Only				Direct emissions from owned facilities
Scope 2 Only				Purchased electricity (location-based)
Scope 1 + 2				Combined direct and energy emissions
All Scopes (incl. Scope 3)				Full value chain emissions

Scope 2 always uses location-based values, not market-based. This ensures consistency across all calculations.

Technical Calculation Details

Formal definitions, formulas, and edge case handling

Target Types

The CRD platform tracks two types of emissions reduction targets.

ABSOLUTE

A fixed reduction in total emissions. For example, reduce overall GHG emissions by 50% from the base year level.

Measured against the total tonnage of CO2-equivalent emitted.

INTENSITY

A reduction in emissions per unit of output. For example, reduce tCO2e per $M revenue by 40%.

Normalised against a business metric (revenue, output, headcount, etc.).

Progress Percentage Calculation

The seven-step process for computing how much progress has been made toward a target.

The progress percentage answers the question: “What fraction of the target reduction has been achieved so far?”

Step 1 - Determine Target Reduction

R_target = percentageReduction (e.g. 50 for a 50% target)

Step 2 - Identify Relevant Scopes

Parse scopeCovered to determine which emission scopes to include (see scope selection table above).

Step 3 - Base Year Emissions

E_base = Sum of relevant scope emissions for the base year

Step 4 - Current Period Emissions

E_current = Sum of relevant scope emissions for the current reporting period

Step 5 - Actual Reduction Percentage

R_actual = ((E_base - E_current) / E_base) x 100

Step 6 - Progress Percentage

Progress = (R_actual / R_target) x 100

Step 7 - Clamp to Valid Range

Final Progress = min(100, max(0, Progress))

On-Track Status Calculation

Determines whether the entity is reducing emissions at a sufficient rate to meet the target by the target year, assuming linear progress.

Step 1 - Actual Reduction

R_actual = ((E_base - E_current) / E_base) x 100

Step 2 - Expected Linear Reduction

Total Years = Target Year - Base Year

Elapsed Years = min(Current Year - Base Year, Total Years)

R_expected = (Elapsed Years / Total Years) x R_target

Step 3 - On-Track Determination

On Track = R_actual >= R_expected

Example

Target: 50% reduction, 2020 to 2030

Current year: 2025 (5 of 10 years elapsed)

R_expected = (5 / 10) x 50 = 25%

R_actual = 30%

30% >= 25% = On Track

Scope Selection Logic

Decision table for determining which emissions values are included based on the target's scope coverage field.

scopeCovered Value	Emissions Used	Formula
Contains only “1”	Scope 1	E = S1
Contains only “2”	Scope 2 (location-based)	E = S2_loc
Contains “1” and “2” (no “3”)	Scope 1 + Scope 2	E = S1 + S2_loc
Contains “3”	All scopes	E = S1 + S2_loc + S3

Edge Cases and Null Handling

How the system handles missing, invalid, or boundary-condition data.

No percentageReduction set on the target

Returns null (no progress computed)

No base year defined

Returns null (no baseline to compare against)

No target year defined

Returns null (no end point to measure toward)

Base year emissions are zero or negative

Returns null / 0 (division by zero guard)

Current emissions exceed base year (emissions increased)

Actual reduction is negative; progress clamped to 0%

Actual reduction exceeds target (target surpassed)

Progress clamped to 100%

Current year is past the target year

Elapsed years clamped to Total Years (does not exceed timeline)

Scope 2 data available in both location-based and market-based

Always uses location-based values

Quick Reference: All Formulas

Actual Reduction (%)

R_actual = ((E_base - E_current) / E_base) x 100

Progress (%)

Progress = min(100, max(0, (R_actual / R_target) x 100))

Expected Linear Reduction (%)

R_expected = (min(CurrentYear - BaseYear, TargetYear - BaseYear) / (TargetYear - BaseYear)) x R_target

On-Track Status

On Track = R_actual >= R_expected