Consistent naming conventions in CSR contribute to a more organized, efficient, and manageable system. They enhance collaboration, reduce errors, and support various aspects of managing CSR.

Consistent naming conventions in CSR can help with:

  • Clear understanding - makes it clear and unambiguous what each item (e.g., inventory) in CSR represents and avoids confusion.
  • Ease of communication - when everyone uses the same terms and structures, communication is effective and efficient.
  • Clear documentation and reporting - it is easier to generate accurate information when standardised naming conventions are in place.
  • Efficient knowledge transfer - when new users access CSR or when knowledge needs to be transferred, consistent naming conventions make it simpler to understand the system and its components.
  • Faster troubleshooting - in the event of issues or errors, consistent naming conventions can speed up troubleshooting. A well-named system allows administrators to quickly identify and trace the root cause of problems.
  • Better resource management - clear and consistent naming conventions aid in resource management. It becomes easier to track and manage assets and resources.

It can help to document chosen naming conventions.  It also advisable to regularly review CSR and correct inconsistencies if needed, e.g., checking that all Emission Factors follow the same naming.

There may be specific naming conventions required which are likely driven by carbon reporting requirements. 

Below are suggestions for conventions to use in CSR if there is no specific structure required.

Locations

Location names will vary depending upon the structure required in CSR.  They should be in a format which makes the Location Overview page easy to navigate.

Example of location naming conventions:

  • Green Corp
    • Corporate Business Units
      • Finance
      • Operations
      • Marketing
      • Sales
    • North District
      • Auckland Sales Office
      • Hamilton Distribution Centre
    • South
      • Wellington Sales Office
      • Christchurch Sales Office
      • Dunedin Distribution Centre
    • Subsidiaries
      • Suppliers
        • ABC Transport
        • BG Construction
      • Green Corp Australia

Good to know:

  • There can be only one top-level location (organisation).
  • Each location name and code must be unique.
  • Using same capitalisation structure for all locations is recommended.
  • Locations can be regions, physical buildings, business units, assets etc.,
  • Refer to Related Articles for more information.

Inventory

Inventory names should reflect the type of activity data being captured.  It's important to follow the same naming conventions for all inventory items and names are case sensitive.
 
ESP recommends the following standards for inventory naming:
 
  • Air Travel - Domestic
  • Air Travel - Long Haul International
  • Air Travel - Short Haul Business
  • Accommodation - Domestic
  • Accommodation - France
  • Accommodation - Australia
  • Electricity - Corporate Offices
  • Electricity - Districts
  • Recycled Waste - Glass
  • Recycled Waste - Plastic
  • Working From Home - All Staff
 
Good to know:
  • If there are multiple suppliers of inventory activity data, one inventory item can be created for each supplier to allow comparisons.  E.g., Petrol Premium - Z Card, Petrol Premium - BP Card.
  • If there are different units of measure for the same inventory, e.g., water m3, water per capita, add the unit of measure as a suffix:
    Water (m3), Water (per capita).
  • If there are other classifications required, e.g., location, brand, region etc., consider using a suffix to define these too.
  • Any inventory of the same name will be totaled in Quarantine regardless of which task it was uploaded against.
  • Refer to Related Articles for more information.

Emission Factors

In CSR, there are several components of emission factors that require a consistent naming convention and format:
  • Group Name
  • Region
  • Resource Type
  • Category
  • Resource UOM (unit of measure)
  • Description (of each emission factor within a group)
  • Source (of each emission factor within a group)

Keeping these in an easily understandable format assists with navigation, trouble shooting, maintenance and reporting.

Example of emission factor naming conventions:

  • Group Name           Specific emissions source (region) (unit of measure), e.g., Coastal Shipping (NZ) (tkm)
  • Region                     Country that supplies the emission factor OR the country that it is used in
  • Resource Type        Emissions source (unit of measure) e.g., Diesel (L)
  • Category                 Emissions source or group e.g., Fuel
  • Resource UOM       Use a consistent abbreviation, e.g., L, km, kg etc.,
  • Description             Resource type, publisher, unit of measure, e.g., Transport Fuel - diesel (MFE) (L)
  • Source                     Publisher of source & year, table/identification reference, any specific information and/or calculations, e.g., MFE 2023, table xx

Good to know:

  • Using a pipe | symbol to separate text can be useful when exporting data for use in other systems, e.g., Transport Fuel | Diesel (MFE) (L).
  • Description in emission factor source publications can help provide some guidance for naming.
  • Descriptions are used the Toitu Carbonzero business intelligence dashboard.
  • Refer to Related Articles for more information.

Data Collection Groups

 

In CSR, data collection groups and subgroups are used in data reviews and reporting.  Processes and inventory can be grouped using these classifications.

The naming conventions can be customised to suit, but usually reflect logical inventory item groupings.  Naming and formatting should be consistent.

It can help to consider reporting and review requirements when collating the groups to be used.

Examples of data collection groups include:

  • Business Travel, Electricity, Energy, Fuel, Refrigerants, Waste, Water etc.,

Examples of data collection subgroups:

  • Accommodation, Air Travel, Mobile Combustion, Purchased Electricity, Recycled Waste, Sold Electricity, Stationary Energy, Waste to Landfill.

Good to know:

  • Data collection groups and subgroups can be customised in CSR through the Settings.
  • Refer to Related Articles for more information.

Other Helpful Hints

  • Use the same naming conventions for efficient data collection - processes (and subsequent tasks), data configurations and look-up lists.