The 10 questions everyone asks before their first Bilan Carbone®

The same questions come up systematically when a company takes an interest in Bilan Carbone®: "Do we have to?", "How much does it cost?", "How long does it take?", "How does it differ from an LCA?". Answers available online are rarely satisfactory - too vague ("it depends"), too sales-focused ("contact us for a quote"), or too technical ("in accordance with Article L229-25 of the Environmental Code...").

Here are the answers we give in meetings, backed by figures.

1Pitfall 1: thinking the obligation does not apply to you

If you have more than 500 employees in mainland France (250 in overseas territories), it applies to you. This is the statutory BEGES, mandatory every 4 years, to be published on the ADEME platform, including scope 3 if the company is subject to CSRD. The fine can reach €50,000 (€100,000 for a repeat offence), but is rarely applied. The most tangible consequences lie elsewhere: since June 2024, a company subject to BEGES that has not published it can no longer receive public funding for the ecological transition, and since January 2026 a public buyer can exclude it from a contract. The environmental criterion required in all public contracts since August 2026 does not itself require a BEGES.

If you have fewer than 500 employees, it is not mandatory. But half our clients are in this position and do it anyway, because a client requests it, a tender requires it, or they want to structure their climate strategy before being compelled to. The trend is accelerating: more and more private tenders include a carbon criterion. CSRD's cascading effect pushes large companies to request carbon data from their SME suppliers.

2Pitfall 2: underestimating the real cost (and forgetting internal cost)

For a single-site SME with 50 to 250 employees, a complete scopes 1-2-3 footprint with an action plan costs €10,000 to €15,000 excluding VAT. For a multi-site mid-sized company or a complex manufacturer, €20,000 to €40,000 excluding VAT. Bpifrance's Diag Décarbon'Action brings the cost down to €6,000 excluding VAT for a fixed-price €10,000 footprint (40% grant), the cheapest option for a first footprint. The article How much does a Bilan Carbone® cost? details the ranges.

The footprint's hidden cost is internal time. Allow 3 to 5 working days spread over 3-4 months, mainly for the finance director and procurement department. A good provider structures collection to minimise this effort.

3Pitfall 3: thinking it is quick

For a standard SME, 3 to 4 months from scoping to presentation to the management committee. For a mid-sized company or a complex manufacturer, 4 to 8 months. Data collection takes the most time, rather than calculation. The limiting factor is almost always the availability of data on the client's side: energy bills scattered across departments, insufficiently broken-down purchasing data, a travel survey to launch.

The first footprint always takes longest. The 2nd, 3 or 4 years later, is 3 times faster because collection processes are in place and teams know what to look for.

4Pitfall 4: avoiding scope 3 because it is daunting

Scope 3 is everything outside your walls: purchases of raw materials and services, freight, business travel, commuting, capital assets, use of your products and their end of life. On average, it accounts for 88% of a company's emissions. It is the scope everyone sidesteps because the data sits with suppliers, customers and employees.

It is daunting because the figure is large and the reduction levers less direct. But it is also where the real opportunities for transformation lie. A footprint stopping at scopes 1 and 2 covers only 10 to 20% of emissions.

5Pitfall 5: confusing Bilan Carbone® with LCA (and paying twice)

Bilan Carbone® measures your organisation's emissions over a year. LCA measures a product's environmental impacts over its entire life cycle. The footprint uses a single criterion (GHGs only). LCA uses multiple criteria (16 impact categories: carbon, water, biodiversity, toxicity, etc.). A footprint costs €10,000 to €30,000 excluding VAT depending on complexity; LCA costs €12,000 to €25,000 excluding VAT per product. The two complement each other: generally, you start with the footprint (which gives the overview), then assess the highest-impact products with LCA.

6Pitfall 6: choosing SaaS or a consultancy without defining your needs

Both exist and both work, in different contexts. SaaS (Greenly, Sweep, Sami, Carbo, etc.) is appropriate if you have a competent internal lead, a standard service-sector activity and want an ongoing tool. A consultancy providing support is preferable for your first footprint, a complex activity (manufacturing, multiple sites, substantial scope 3), or an action plan that engages management.

The choice depends mainly on the objective. For a figure to report, a tool often suffices; to transform the organisation, you need a project led by management and support.

7Pitfall 7: choosing your provider by the lowest price

5 criteria matter. First, Bilan Carbone® certification (awarded by IFC) or equivalent, a prerequisite for delivering a Diag Décarbon'Action. Sector experience - a provider that has completed 10 footprints in your sector will work faster and ask the right questions. Action plan quality - request examples of deliverables, rather than just references. Level of support - a good provider runs workshops with your teams, rather than simply filling in a spreadsheet. Finally, personal compatibility - the footprint is a 4-6-month project, and the working relationship must function.

The most common mistake: choosing solely on price. Differences between listed providers are limited (Diag Décarbon'Action has a fixed price). What varies is the quality of support and the detail of the action plan.

8Pitfall 8: underestimating your own emissions

We cannot give a universal figure because emissions vary hugely by sector and size. But we can give orders of magnitude. A service-sector SME with 100 employees generally emits 500 to 2,000 tCO2e per year, including 70 to 85% in scope 3 (mainly service purchases, travel and digital activities). An industrial SME of the same size emits 2,000 to 10,000 tCO2e, with raw material purchases dominating.

Results are almost always counter-intuitive. The heating everyone fixates on often represents 5-10% of the footprint. Business travel (especially flights) contributes much more than people think. And purchases - what we have others manufacture - almost always dominate. The article Carbon orders of magnitude gives benchmarks by sector.

9Pitfall 9: ignoring public grants (up to 80% funding)

Public grants are significant. Diag Décarbon'Action (Bpifrance) funds 40% of a fixed-price €10,000 excluding VAT Bilan Carbone®, leaving €6,000 excluding VAT payable. ACT Pas à Pas (ADEME) funds up to 80% of the climate strategy following the footprint, up to €30,000. Diag Éco-conception (Bpifrance) funds 60 to 70% of a product LCA. Regional grants and CEE funding for energy efficiency are available alongside them. The complete funding overview is in our dedicated article.

The application process is simple (a 30-minute form) and the acceptance rate high. Budgets, renewed each year, are not unlimited: it is better to apply early.

10Pitfall 10: leaving the report unused without an action plan

This is the most important question and the least frequently asked. A footprint ending up in a drawer has achieved nothing - and that is the fate of most footprints in France. The difference lies in the action plan: quantified, dated objectives owned by named people, with regular monitoring. Generally, 3 to 5 sources account for 80% of emissions. These are the sources on which priority actions are built.

Quick wins exist and build internal credibility: travel policy (train vs plane), energy optimisation, waste sorting, choosing local suppliers. Structural levers take longer but change the pathway: product ecodesign, responsible procurement strategy, energy renovation. The article How to reduce your carbon footprint details the levers by source.

11Frequently asked questions

Is Bilan Carbone® a complete environmental assessment?

No. Bilan Carbone® measures only greenhouse gases. It does not cover biodiversity, water, soil pollution or resource depletion. A multi-criteria environmental assessment requires an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment).

Do you need to repeat your footprint every year?

The statutory BEGES is mandatory every 4 years. In practice, we recommend an update at least every 3 years to track changes and measure the action plan's impact. Some companies use simplified annual monitoring of major sources between complete footprints.

Does Bilan Carbone® let you compare yourself with competitors?

With caution. Results are comparable if the scope (scopes, sites and activities included) and emission factors used are identical. In practice, boundaries often vary between companies. The most reliable comparison uses carbon intensity (tCO2e per million euros of turnover, per employee or per unit produced) rather than absolute values.

Further resources

Frequently asked questions

1Is Bilan Carbone® a registered trademark?

Yes, Bilan Carbone® is a registered trademark owned by the Association pour la transition Bas Carbone (ABC). ADEME created the method in 2004, then transferred it in 2011 to the association, which maintains it and published V9 in July 2024. A provider advertising a Bilan Carbone® in the strict sense applies this method with consultants trained and certified in it. The statutory BEGES can, however, be carried out using other compatible methods, such as ISO 14064-1 or the GHG Protocol.

2How long does it take to carry out a Bilan Carbone®?

For an SME, allow 3 to 4 months from scoping to presentation to the management committee; for a mid-sized company or complex manufacturer, 4 to 8 months. Data collection takes far longer than calculation: scattered energy bills, poorly broken-down purchases, a travel survey to launch. Within the company, allow 3 to 5 internal working days spread over 3 to 4 months, mainly for finance and procurement. The 2nd footprint, 3 or 4 years later, is around 3 times faster because collection processes are already in place.

3Should you carry out your Bilan Carbone® internally or with a consultancy?

The choice depends on your internal skills and objective: SaaS software (Greenly, Sweep, Sami, Carbo, etc.) suits a competent internal lead, a standard service-sector activity and a need for ongoing monitoring. A consultancy is preferable for a first footprint, a complex activity (manufacturing, multiple sites, substantial scope 3) or an action plan engaging management. With a consultancy, allow €10,000 to €30,000 excluding VAT depending on complexity, or around €6,000 excluding VAT payable with Bpifrance and ADEME's Diag Décarbon'Action.

4What common mistakes should you avoid in a Bilan Carbone®?

The most common mistakes are thinking it does not apply to you, forgetting internal time (3 to 5 days), underestimating the duration (3 to 4 months for an SME) and sidestepping scope 3, which accounts for 88% of emissions on average. Other mistakes include confusing Bilan Carbone® and LCA, choosing a provider solely on price, and forgetting public grants such as Diag Décarbon'Action. The most costly remains leaving the report unused without a quantified, dated action plan owned by named people.

Ask Alexandre your questionA personal reply within 24 working hours

Send my questionor: [email protected]