Data on energy consumption, GHG emissions, waste, paper, and water consumption, including Postbank’s, are consolidated in a global database that systematically analyzes data for the past 10 years. We analyze the impact of environmental initiatives, highlighting how renewable electricity has reduced carbon emissions for example. The system stores data and uses it to make estimates of key indicators based on present consumption and trends, so that annual carbon emissions can be accurately accounted for and offsets purchased at the appropriate level to meet our neutrality targets. Data covers all locations, (currently 87% of our carbon emissions come from actual metered or invoiced data, with consumption extrapolated for non-reporting sites) and are quantified and reported in line with the international GHG standard ISO 14064. Waste, paper, and water data are also captured in this database, with data for copier paper consumption in 17 countries including Germany, the UK, and the US, and cover 76% of employees. Water consumption data is extrapolated based on floor area with actual water consumption data covering 58% of floor area across the globe. Full-time equivalent (FTE) and floor data refer to respective annual average numbers.
Greenhouse Gas Reporting
In 2017, total emissions (from market-based reporting) amounted to 226,769 metric tons of CO2e, while emissions from location-based reporting were 433,169 metric tons of CO2e. The difference between location and market emissions of 206,400 metric tons of CO2e is primarily due to the renewable energy contracts in the three largest electricity consuming countries where we operate: Germany, the UK and the US.
The base year of 2007 is the first year in which we had the most reliable and complete data, as well as the methodology and processes in place to calculate the global emissions of the organization. The most significant changes to the base year have arisen from improved extrapolation methodologies (base-year market-based methodology emissions were 698,408 metric tons of CO2e).
All data relates to 2017 and is presented as available at the time of reporting (though as already mentioned, some is extrapolated from 2016). Performance changes reflect:
- electricity grid factor changes,
- energy data updates where data was unavailable at the time of reporting last year,
- assumption changes, and
- extrapolation methodology changes.
Reporting Scope
Our greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting boundary is defined according to the GHG Protocol’s operational control approach and includes businesses and sites where Deutsche Bank staff hold executive positions in the company, and where our operational policies are implemented. Reporting scopes are defined as:
- Scope 1: the combustion of fossils fuels, owned and leased vehicles, and refrigerant leakage from cooling equipment
- Scope 2: delivered energy including electricity, district heating, steam, and cooling
- Scope 3: indirect emissions from business travel (air, rail, taxi, rented vehicles), where emissions sources are controlled by others
We report according to the GHG Protocol’s Scope 2 Guidance: an amendment to the Corporate Standard (June 2017). In line with the requirement for dual reporting, the table below shows GHG emissions from the market-based approach, using supplier-specific emission factors and Reliable Disclosure Systems for Europe (RE-DISS), residual emission factors for non-renewable electricity consumption in European countries, or country grid average factors.
Emission Factors
The contractual instruments supporting the zero-carbon, supplier-specific emission factors used by countries with a large renewable electricity supply include: Renewable Electricity Certificates (RECs) in the US and Canada, Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) for selected sites in the UK, Guarantees of Origin (GOs) in Germany, and International Renewable Energy Certificates (IRECs) in Spain. Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland also hold zero-carbon electricity contracts.