Do I need a carbon baseline before applying for a green loan?

It helps. A baseline of twelve months of energy use, fuel and production shows where you start, so the project's effect can be estimated and later checked. Some lenders ask for it; even where they do not, it makes the case clearer.

What to include

• Twelve months of electricity bills and fuel invoices.
• Production for the same months.
• Emissions and intensity per unit, with factors stated.

Using it

Compare the baseline with the project's expected savings, labelled as an estimate, and repeat the measurement after commissioning.

Common gaps

Missing months and unrecorded diesel are the usual problems; fill them before applying.

What Senseible does here

Senseible turns bills and fuel invoices into a dated, traceable emissions record, the kind of evidence lenders may ask for. Lenders decide, and financing is never guaranteed.

• Prove energy savings to a lender
• How lenders read GHG reports
• Green loan principles

Sources: Loan Market Association, green and sustainability-linked loan principles, GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, Bureau of Energy Efficiency

Last reviewed 2026-10-22.