A single river winding through a rocky, forested canyon from above, representing the one consistent methodology Aqualis Carbon Advisory applies across every service, however the terrain changes
Our Methodology

One Methodology, Applied Across Every Service We Deliver

Whether we are calculating a GHG inventory, preparing an Environmental Product Declaration, delivering a mandatory AASB S2 disclosure or guiding you through carbon offset selection, the same disciplined, four-stage methodology sits underneath. Only the standards applied and the deliverable produced change by engagement.

4
Consistent Stages, Every Engagement
100%
Independent, Evidence-Led Analysis
Assurance
Ready
Built for Audit and External Review from Day One
8
Services, One Underlying Discipline
How We Work

The Four-Stage Process Behind Every Engagement

Every engagement, regardless of which of our eight services it falls under, moves through the same four stages. This consistency is deliberate. It means your data, your evidence base and your reporting stay coherent as your climate programme grows and matures over time.

01

Baseline & Scoping

We start by understanding exactly where you stand: existing emissions data, prior certifications, organisational or product boundaries, and the regulatory or voluntary obligations driving the engagement. This stage determines which standards apply to you, rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all checklist.

02

Framework & Standard Selection

We apply the specific international or Australian standard that governs your engagement, whether that is the GHG Protocol, ISO 14040, ISO 14025, the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard or the AASB S2 core content requirements. This is where technical rigour becomes concrete rather than a marketing claim.

03

Analysis, Strategy & Delivery

We do the substantive work: calculating the inventory, running the life cycle assessment, drafting the disclosure, modelling the abatement pathway, evaluating offset quality. You are involved throughout, with iterative review rather than a black-box handover at the end.

04

Governance, Assurance & Ongoing Reporting

We help you embed the governance and tracking systems needed to monitor progress, support your engagement with an external assurance provider where required, and set your organisation up to report again next year with less effort and more confidence than the first time around.

Technical Foundations

Standards and Frameworks We Work To

Stage two of our process means selecting the right standard for your engagement. Here are the frameworks that most commonly underpin our work. This list is not exhaustive; we work with all relevant sustainability standards across our core areas of delivery.

EMISSIONS

GHG Protocol & ISO 14064-1

The foundation for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions accounting, governing how we set organisational boundaries, select emission factors and calculate a defensible greenhouse gas inventory.

LCA

ISO 14040 & ISO 14044

The international standards for life cycle assessment, governing how we quantify the cradle-to-grave environmental impacts of a product, material or service.

EPD

ISO 14025

The standard governing environmental product declarations, setting out the rules for Type III eco-labelling and the Product Category Rules we apply to each declaration.

CERTIFICATION

Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard

The Australian Government-backed standard governing carbon neutral certification for organisations, products and services, including which offset units are currently eligible.

DISCLOSURE

AASB S2 Core Content Requirements

The mandatory climate-related financial disclosure standard, governing how we structure governance, strategy, risk management and metrics and targets disclosures.

TARGETS

Science Based Targets Initiative Alignment

The methodology we apply when helping you set net zero and interim emissions targets consistent with the latest climate science, rather than an arbitrary figure.

Same Process, Different Output

How Our Methodology Adapts Across Services

If the process is the same every time, a natural question follows: why do you need eight different services? The answer is that the four stages stay constant, but what happens inside each stage is shaped entirely by your engagement.

What Stays Constant

  • The same four-stage discipline: baseline, framework selection, analysis, governance
  • The same commitment to evidence-based, defensible methodology
  • The same senior-level involvement, from initial scoping through to final delivery
  • The same focus on documentation built to withstand external scrutiny

What Changes by Service

  • Which standard is applied at Stage 2, from the GHG Protocol to ISO 14040 to AASB S2
  • What is measured or assessed at Stage 3, whether emissions, life cycle impacts, offset quality or climate risk
  • What the final deliverable looks like, from a certified report to a disclosure statement to a strategic roadmap
  • Which regulatory or voluntary body the output is ultimately prepared for
Built to Withstand Scrutiny

Data Integrity and Assurance-Readiness

Assurance requirements over climate disclosures are expanding, and offset and certification claims face growing scrutiny. We build every engagement to be assurance-ready from day one, rather than retrofitting documentation once an auditor asks for it.

100%
Independent, Evidence-Led Analysis
Assurance
Ready
Documented for External Review from Day One
Full
Traceability
Every Figure Linked Back to Source Data
4
Stages, One Consistent Process

How we build for scrutiny:

Data collection templates and calculation worksheets retained and made available for assurance provider review
Clear documentation of assumptions, emission factors and methodology choices behind every figure we report
Version-controlled records, so changes between reporting periods are traceable and explainable
Documentation structured to align with the evidentiary expectations of AASB S2 assurance engagements
Independent internal review of calculations and conclusions before any report reaches a client
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about how we work? Here are the questions we hear most often about our methodology.

The four stages stay the same regardless of size, but the depth and scale within each stage adjust to fit your organisation. A small business might move through baselining and framework selection in a matter of days, supported by a lighter-touch GHG inventory. A large, multi-site enterprise might need several weeks of scoping and a more sophisticated scenario analysis. Either way, the discipline stays the same; only the level of complexity changes to match what your organisation genuinely needs.
It depends heavily on the service and your starting point. A first GHG inventory for a straightforward organisation might take four to six weeks, while a full AASB S2 disclosure programme, built from governance frameworks through to metrics and scenario analysis, can run several months for a first-year filing. We provide a realistic timeline during the baseline and scoping stage once we understand your specific circumstances, rather than quoting a generic figure upfront.
Because the underlying discipline of good climate advisory does not actually change between services, only the technical content does. Every credible piece of work starts with understanding your baseline, applies the right standard, does the substantive analysis, and ends with governance to keep it credible over time. Following one consistent process means your data stays coherent across services, so a GHG inventory we build for you today feeds cleanly into an AASB S2 disclosure or a net zero strategy later, rather than starting from scratch each time.
Our documentation is built to be assurance-ready from the outset, meaning your calculation worksheets, assumptions and methodology choices are recorded in a form an external assurance provider can review efficiently. We are not an assurance provider ourselves and do not issue assurance opinions, so if your reporting requires formal external assurance, you will still need to engage an accredited provider separately. What we do is make that process as smooth as possible by handing over evidence that is already organised and defensible.
Generic consultancy firms often apply a templated sustainability framework across every client, regardless of sector or complexity. Our process starts by scoping which standards genuinely apply to you, rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all checklist. We are also independent, meaning we do not sell carbon offsets or renewable energy certificates, so the methodology decisions we make at every stage are shaped by evidence and your circumstances, not by what benefits us commercially.
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