Reporting periods

Reporting periods are a fundamental feature that allows organizations to track and analyze their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over specific time frames. This feature enables multi-period emissions tracking, year-over-year comparisons, and compliance with GHG Protocol reporting requirements.

Key Concepts

What is a Reporting Period?

A reporting period is a defined timeframe during which an organisation measures and reports its GHG emissions. Common reporting periods include:

• Annual periods (e.g., “2024”, “FY 2024”)
• Quarterly periods (e.g., “Q1 2024”, “Q2 2024”)
• Custom periods for specific reporting needs

Period Properties

Each reporting period has the following attributes:

• Name: A descriptive identifier (e.g., “2024”, “Q1 2024”)
• Start Date: The first day of the reporting period
• End Date: The last day of the reporting period
• Status: The current state of the period
• Draft: Period is being set up
• Active: Period is currently in use
• Closed: Period is finalized and locked
• Baseline Flag: Indicates if this period serves as the baseline for comparisons

How Reporting Periods Work

Period Selection

When a project has multiple reporting periods:

1. A period switcher appears in the project header
2. The currently selected period is displayed with a dropdown arrow
3. Users can click to see all available periods and switch between them
4. The selected period persists throughout the user’s session

When a project has only one reporting period:

• The period dates are shown without a switcher
• This maintains a clean interface for simple use cases

Data Association

All emissions data is linked to specific reporting periods:

• Activity Data: Electricity consumption, fuel use, travel, etc.
• Fleet Data: Vehicle fuel and electricity consumption
• Procurement Data: Purchased goods and services
• Investment Data: Portfolio emissions valuations

When creating new records, the system automatically assigns them to the currently selected reporting period.

Data Validation

The system ensures data integrity by validating that:

• Activity dates fall within the assigned reporting period
• No data can be created outside of defined reporting periods
• Overlapping periods are prevented for the same project

Impact on Different Areas

Emissions Data Entry

When entering emissions data:

• New records are automatically assigned to the current reporting period
• Date fields are validated against the period’s date range
• Users see a blue banner indicating which period they’re working in

Reports and Analytics

Reports automatically filter data based on the selected period:

• Overview Dashboard: Shows emissions totals for the current period
• Category Reports: Display only activities within the selected period
• Charts and Visualizations: Reflect data from the current period
• Country Analysis: Aggregates emissions by country for the selected period

Data Queries

All data queries throughout the system respect the current reporting period:

• List views show only records from the selected period
• Calculations use period-specific data
• Exports include only data from the current period

Managing Reporting Periods

Creating a New Period

1. Navigate to Project Settings → Reporting Periods
2. Click “Add Period”
3. Enter the period details:
4. Name (e.g., “2025”)
5. Start and end dates
6. Status (typically start with “Draft”)
7. Baseline flag (if applicable)

Setting a Baseline Period

One period can be designated as the baseline:

• Used for year-over-year comparisons
• Serves as the reference point for reduction targets
• Marked with a blue “Baseline” badge

Period Transitions

When transitioning between periods:

• Complete all data entry for the current period
• Change the period status to “Closed” to prevent changes
• Create and activate the new period
• Assets and emission sources automatically carry forward

Best Practices

Planning Periods

• Align reporting periods with your organization’s fiscal year
• Create periods in advance to allow for planning
• Use consistent naming conventions (e.g., always use “YYYY” for annual periods)

Data Management

• Complete data entry before closing a period
• Review and validate data before marking a period as “Closed”
• Use the baseline period for setting reduction targets

Multi-Period Analysis

• Keep period names consistent for easier comparison
• Use the period switcher to review historical data
• Export period-specific reports for compliance documentation