Welcome to the IMS Carbon Management, Reporting and Disclosure Resource Centre







SHAPING RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

CDP Services 2020
Last year, over 50% of IMS clients achieved Leadership status for their climate disclosures.

TCFD Reporting
Guidance and support for reporting to Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosure
framework and principles

Science Based Targets for emissions reduction
Setting and implementing science-based targets

Global Reporting Initiative
Reporting using GRI standards and frameworks

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Applying the UNSDGs to your business strategy

Future Fit Business Benchmark
Coming soon : Guidance and support for FFBB methodology

IMS Consulting are sustainability strategy, communication and engagement experts, with offices in the UK and France. We develop and deliver sustainability research, reporting and disclosure services for some of the world’s leading responsible businesses.
Welcome to our Resource Centre
CDP
CDP Services
IMS Consulting provides a full range of support for clients looking to submit to CDP’s climate, water or forest disclosures.
We’ve put the experience of our carbon specialists together in the set of resources available here.
This microsite is designed to help you through the process by providing guidance, tips and information. Download our Guides, White Papers and Coffee Break Briefings to help you and your team make the most of your disclosure process.
Whether you’re looking for a one-off ScoreCHECK or full support throughout your CDP process, this Guide explains how IMS can help you to prepare for CDP in 2020, understand changes in the scoring methodology and how to treat sector-specific questions.
CDP ScoreCHECK and GAP Analysis

ScoreCHECK is a scoring prediction tool developed by IMS that allows us to analyse clients’ CDP submissions at question level and to estimate your final score. ScoreCHECK is updated every year based on the most recent official scoring methodology published by CDP. ScoreCHECK is available for all three CDP areas of disclosure – Carbon, Forest and Water – and includes sector-specific questions.
Use ScoreCHECK for GAP analysis on your previous CDP submissions and to check and predict your 2020 performance.
“2019 was the first time JCDecaux hired outside consultants to help with our CDP climate disclosure. Our team usually handles everything in-house, but the IMS ScoreCHECK really convinced us to get the help of external experts this year. I really like the way we worked together, first filling the questionnaire ourselves, “scanning” our answers through the ScoreCHECK, then improving the answers together.”
Stéphanie Biderre – JCDecaux, Sustainability Manager, performance and change management.
CDP Support Packages

IMS Consulting provides a range of support packages, designed to suit your company’s needs, ambitions and budget. Take a look at our client testimonials and video references to learn how we’ve been helping other companies to succeed.
For detailed information on service plans and costs for CDP email us at info@imsplc.com or call +44(0)7785 921717
Preparing a Better Disclosure

Guide to CDP 2020 – Preparing a better disclosure
This comprehensive White Paper, written by IMS’s carbon consultants, includes the timetable for 2020, numerous tips on how to improve your submission, details on this year’s sector-specific questions and guidance on threshold scoring, including detailed advice on how scores are determined. It is an invaluable aid if you are serious about your climate, water and forest disclosures for 2020.
Our 2020 Guide is supported by informative videos – see the Video Guides section of this Resource Centre. You can also sign up to the IMS Consulting newsletter Carbon Update. Simply register your details at info@imsplc.com
Video Guides and Podcasts
HOW TO videos. Short interviews, tips and guidance to help you improve carbon management, reporting and disclosure
EXAMPLES of RECENT PROJECTS
Testimonials

IMS Paris Summit : Interview of Franck Tharreau, Group Head of Property, Engineering and Sustainability, Klépierre
IMS Paris Summit : Interview of Lucie Guillory, Sustainability Officer, Klépierre
IMS Paris Summit : Interview of Lina Dechamp, Sustainable Development & Mobility, Michelin
IMS Paris Summit : Interview of Fabienne Grall, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, Saint-Gobain – PART 1
IMS Paris Summit : Interview of Fabienne Grall, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, Saint-Gobain – PART 2
IMS Paris Summit : Interview of Nicolas Baglin, Environment, EHS Management, Saint-Gobain
IMS Paris Summit : Interview of Graham Edgell, Group Director of Sustainability and Procurement, Morgan Sindall Group plc
IMS Paris Summit : Interview of Penny Crookshank, Sustainable Development Co-ordinator, Innospec Inc
Noel Morrin, Executive Vice President, Stora Enso
Morgan Sindall – Fit Out Testimonial
Wates Testimonial
TCFD Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosure
Scenario Analysis

IMS Consulting’s handy “Coffee Break Briefing” on Scenario Analysis is written for non-experts who want to learn more about the TCFD reporting requirements, and in particular how to develop and report different climate-related scenarios. This briefing is really useful to share with colleagues who want to understand TCFD in more detail but perhaps aren’t ready for the full context that we provide in our White Paper. This Briefing includes an introduction to TCFD and an overview of the taskforce’s recommendations, advice on how to go about reporting and an introduction to scenario analysis. Not only is this Briefing valuable to any company embarking upon TCFD reporting, the information on scenario planning and analysis is also entirely relevant to leading disclosure standards including CDP.
White Paper

IMS Consulting provides comprehensive reporting and disclosure support packages for companies who are serious about TCFD compliance.
This 34 page whitepaper is your definitive Guide to TCFD Reporting. Researched and written by a sustainability consultant who is also a qualified chartered accountant and chartered tax advisor, this comprehensive, yet easy to understand, guide is complemented by a set of case studies and a shorter “Coffee Break Briefing” written for anyone who wants a quick introduction to Scenario Analysis. Our White Paper takes you through every aspect of TCFD reporting in a useful step-by-step approach. It covers TCFD recommendations and provides a valuable source of references to other publications and resources.
Case Studies in TCFD Reporting

Use this set of Case Studies in conjunction with IMS Consulting’s comprehensive Guide to TCFD Reporting (our whitepaper). We’ve selected six companies who are reporting to TCFD and provided a review of key aspects of each of their reports. It will help you to shape your thinking on how to report most effectively. Companies reviewed in the 28-page publication (researched and written by a sustainability consultant who is also a qualified chartered accountant and chartered tax advisor,) include: Vodafone, British Land, Citigroup, Unilever, Rio Tinto and AXA. For each case study we provide analysis of each company’s approach and suggestions on how you can structure your own report to ensure that stakeholders can get maximum benefit.
SBT Science Based Targets

Developing and Validating your Science-Based Targets
IMS provides support developing targets, applying recognised emissions reduction models and getting your targets approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTI).
Obtaining approval from the SBTI can be a complex and time-consuming process. The validation process is thorough and more often than not involves several rounds of communication with the SBTI and revision of targets, making the timescale for approval anywhere between 6 and 18 months. The support of external experts such as IMS Consulting can be invaluable throughout the process.
What if I don’t want to have my targets validated?
A very good question. Many companies that we work with are pressing ahead with a net zero ambition, implementation of an emissions reduction pathway or setting science-based emissions reduction targets that are not SBTI verified.
Why?
Several reasons. Maybe you have a particular plan for reaching net zero, perhaps you don’t want to wait for an approved methodology to be developed, or don’t want to delay implementation of emissions reduction measures while your targets are submitted and approved by SBTI – remember it can take over 12 months.
Our Coffee Break Briefing on Science Based Targets explains, in simple terms, how to set about calculating and implementing science based emissions reduction targets.
GRI Reporting
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Infrastructure investors seeking green assets in wake of Covid-19
31 July 2020 Infrastructure investors seeking green assets in wake of Covid-19 According to a survey by Linklaters, infrastructure investors are set to ramp up their pursuit of green assets, with renewables, digital infrastructure and green real estate highlighted by fund managers as key priorities for investment. The survey, which gathered results from over 300 fund and portfolio managers across […]
A new way to shop which reduces plastic waste
15 July 2020 A new way to shop which reduces plastic waste Loop is an innovative shopping platform which provides consumers with online deliveries in durable packaging that can then be returned and reused rather than binned. In partnership with Tesco, and led by recycling specialists TerraCycle, Loop has brought together a host of leading consumer brands to enable consumers […]
Blackrock takes voting action against companies on climate grounds
14 July 2020 Blackrock takes voting action against companies on climate grounds Whilst Blackrock has historically been accused of greenwashing, in January 2020 CEO Larry Fink announced a strengthening of their climate policies. In a letter to chief executives he said that his firm would avoid investments in companies that “present a high sustainability-related risk” and that the firm would […]
Mark Carney spearheads new taskforce to scale up carbon offsetting markets
3 September 2020 Mark Carney spearheads new taskforce to scale up carbon offsetting markets Former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is spearheading an initiative to scale up voluntary carbon credit markets, sponsored by the Institute of International Finance. The Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets will work to take stock of existing voluntary offsetting schemes and identify key challenges […]
Using AI to identify climate risks and opportunities
2 September 2020 Using AI to identify climate risks and opportunities Amazon, Allianz, Microsoft and S&P Global join an open data initiative to harness AI, open source analytics and open data to help better manage climate risks and take advantages of the opportunities offered by the net zero transition, according to an article by BusinessGreen here. The LF Climate Finance […]
Manufacturers aim for carbon-neutral cement by 2050
1 September 2020 Manufacturers aim for carbon-neutral cement by 2050 An article by edie here has reported that a group of the world’s leading producers of cement have issued a new industry commitment to deliver carbon-neutral concrete by 2050. The Global Cement and Concrete Association (“GCCA”) have launched the ‘2050 Climate Ambition’ on behalf of its member companies which sees […]
UK’s largest pension schemes set for mandatory climate risk reporting
27 August 2020 UK’s largest pension schemes set for mandatory climate risk reporting It has long been anticipated that the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”) recommendations will become mandatory, certainly for certain organisations. The Department for Work and Pensions (“DWP”) has now said that UK pension schemes of a certain size will be mandated to disclose the climate-related […]
Investor focus on climate change
6 August 2020 Investor focus on climate change As we have reported previously, a new set of climate ratings has been launched by CDP which seeks to help investors to understand which global warming scenarios their portfolios are aligned with. The tool uses data from 4,000 global companies based on targets to cut all GHG emissions in a company’s value […]
CDP’s view on the disclosure and transparency trend
6 August 2020 CDP’s view on the disclosure and transparency trend CDP’s head of investor research Carole Ferguson has outlined her views on how the twin threats of the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis is creating a heightened focus on transparency amongst investors and corporates. Her views are captured within a new ESG handbook produced by edie which can […]
Construction Talent
5 August 2020 Construction Talent The Construction Talent Retention Scheme is aimed to protect workers in the construction industry as the UK begins to rebuild itself and emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. It will be in the form of an online portal, and will advertise construction vacancies to employ workers who may be at risk of redundancy and will help […]
Increased focus on scope 3 carbon emissions
5 August 2020 Increased focus on scope 3 carbon emissions Whilst many organisations have taken action to decarbonise their facilities, operations and purchased energy (Scope 1 and 2 emissions), a significant proportion of their climate impact lies within Scope 3 emissions which are located outside of their direct control. The GHG Protocol defines Scope 3 emissions as “all indirect emissions […]
Apprenticeship schemes and talent retention
4 August 2020 Apprenticeship schemes and talent retention Kimberley Murphy of the Technical Apprenticeship Consortium has voiced her concerns over Rishi Sunak’s training and apprenticeship schemes in her Infrastructure Intelligence opinion article here. She comments that whilst the Government’s support for apprenticeship schemes is welcome – there may be trouble down the line. In the summer economic update on 8 […]
Infrastructure investors seeking green assets in wake of Covid-19
31 July 2020 Infrastructure investors seeking green assets in wake of Covid-19 According to a survey by Linklaters, infrastructure investors are set to ramp up their pursuit of green assets, with renewables, digital infrastructure and green real estate highlighted by fund managers as key priorities for investment. The survey, which gathered results from over 300 fund and portfolio managers across […]
A new way to shop which reduces plastic waste
15 July 2020 A new way to shop which reduces plastic waste Loop is an innovative shopping platform which provides consumers with online deliveries in durable packaging that can then be returned and reused rather than binned. In partnership with Tesco, and led by recycling specialists TerraCycle, Loop has brought together a host of leading consumer brands to enable consumers […]
Blackrock takes voting action against companies on climate grounds
14 July 2020 Blackrock takes voting action against companies on climate grounds Whilst Blackrock has historically been accused of greenwashing, in January 2020 CEO Larry Fink announced a strengthening of their climate policies. In a letter to chief executives he said that his firm would avoid investments in companies that “present a high sustainability-related risk” and that the firm would […]
Mark Carney spearheads new taskforce to scale up carbon offsetting markets
3 September 2020 Mark Carney spearheads new taskforce to scale up carbon offsetting markets Former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is spearheading an initiative to scale up voluntary carbon credit markets, sponsored by the Institute of International Finance. The Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets will work to take stock of existing voluntary offsetting schemes and identify key challenges […]
Using AI to identify climate risks and opportunities
2 September 2020 Using AI to identify climate risks and opportunities Amazon, Allianz, Microsoft and S&P Global join an open data initiative to harness AI, open source analytics and open data to help better manage climate risks and take advantages of the opportunities offered by the net zero transition, according to an article by BusinessGreen here. The LF Climate Finance […]
Manufacturers aim for carbon-neutral cement by 2050
1 September 2020 Manufacturers aim for carbon-neutral cement by 2050 An article by edie here has reported that a group of the world’s leading producers of cement have issued a new industry commitment to deliver carbon-neutral concrete by 2050. The Global Cement and Concrete Association (“GCCA”) have launched the ‘2050 Climate Ambition’ on behalf of its member companies which sees […]