Helping Alba Trees, a leading UK tree grower, build a full Scope 3 footprint and 18-point Carbon Reduction Plan with industry-specific emissions factors.

Overview

Alba Trees grow around 30 million trees a year from sites in East Lothian and Aberdeenshire, supplying foresters, farmers, estates and landowners with everything needed to establish new woodland across the UK. They came to Seedling having previously measured only Scopes 1 and 2, and wanting to build a credible, complete picture of their footprint that included the materials at the heart of nursery operations. Parent company encouragement provided the trigger, but the appetite to go further was already there.

About Alba Trees

"Alba Trees is one of the UK's leading tree nurseries, based in East Lothian, Scotland. Founded in 1988, we've spent over three decades growing cell-grown native trees for sustainable forestry, woodland creation and hedgerow planting across the UK."

The business operates at significant scale, both in volume and reach.

"We grow around 30 million trees a year from our nursery sites in East Lothian and our newly acquired nursery in Aberdeenshire, supplying foresters, farmers, estates and landowners with the trees, shelters and accessories they need to plant and establish new woodland at scale."

"We serve clients across both the commercial and conservation sectors, from large timber production schemes to native woodland and biodiversity projects. In total, we've helped grow more than 600 million trees."

Climate action sits naturally alongside the work the business does every day.

"Climate change and sustainability is at the forefront of what we do, so ensuring we had a complete and comprehensive footprint aligned fully with our values and business."

The Objective

Alba Trees had been tracking Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions for some time, but a partial picture wasn't enough to support meaningful action or meet the expectations of their parent company and investors. They wanted full Scope 3 coverage, a credible Net Zero Roadmap, and a platform that the team could engage with year-round.

The Challenge

"We previously only calculated scope 1 and 2 emissions. The lack of a comprehensive and intuitive data portal was limiting and made analysis on the data challenging with our previous provider. We were convinced we needed an improved method and system capabilities to measure Scope 3."

For a nursery business, Scope 3 isn't a footnote. It's where the bulk of the footprint sits, across compost, growing medium and saplings, fertilisers, paper and packaging, and the distribution vehicles travelling between sites and out to customers. Capturing all of this well, needs a platform that can flex to the realities of the business, and a partner who understands that off-the-shelf emissions factors don't always tell the right story.

Why Alba Trees Chose Seedling

"Seedling were recommended by our parent company. Seedlings software + support model was really appealing having been left with limited support before."

For a sector with as many sector-specific requirements as horticulture, an intuitive platform alone isn't enough. Alba wanted a partner who could help them think through the trickier methodological choices, and who would stay engaged beyond the initial onboarding. Seedling's combination of dedicated expert support and a flexible platform fit both requirements.

How Seedling Helped

1) Expanded the footprint from Scope 1 and 2 to full scope

Seedling worked with Alba Trees to bring all three scopes into a single, consistent picture. Existing Scope 1 and 2 data was preserved and built on, while Scope 3 was structured across the full set of relevant categories: purchased goods and services, upstream transportation, employee commuting, waste and more. Areas that previously hadn't been captured at all, including distribution, site vehicle use, and the operational logistics of running multiple nursery sites, were brought into the footprint for the first time.

"We also had distribution and site vehicle use to account for, which the platform made it super easy to measure."

2) Sourced granular emissions factors for nursery-specific materials

Standard emissions factor databases don't always reflect the realities of niche industries. For Alba Trees, the materials at the heart of nursery operations, like peat, growing medium, saplings and fertilisers, sit outside the typical mid-market business profile. To make the Scope 3 footprint genuinely representative rather than generic, the Seedling team sourced granular emissions factors for these inputs, so the data reflected the carbon embedded in what Alba actually use, rather than a substitute that didn't quite fit.

"As a business with a complex supply chain we really wanted to measure complete scope 3 emissions and to be able to measure the impact of the materials that are such a big part of our business, looking at compost, paper and our saplings."

3) Translated the data into an actionable 18-point Net Zero Plan

An accurate footprint is only useful if it leads to action. With Alba's hotspots clearly visible in the platform, the Seedling team helped the business build out a structured reduction plan tailored to the realities of running a tree nursery: prioritised by impact, broken down into specific sub-actions, and grounded in the data Alba had just submitted. The plan now serves as both a working document for delivery and a tool for engaging the wider team in carbon reduction.

"One of our challenges was building a measured and strategic emissions reduction plan. We now have an 18 point plan supported by sub-actions to investigate and target reductions. This is directly related to the data we have submitted as part of the process. This has allowed us to use real and relevant examples to engage our team."

4) Built investor-ready reporting and achieved Seedling Certification

Seedling's reporting tools produce the outputs Alba need to share emissions data with their parent company and investors in a consistent, standards-aligned format, removing the manual work that used to slow that process down. Alongside this, Alba achieved Seedling Certification, which recognises businesses with a comprehensive, data-backed climate strategy.

"We have achieved Seedlings certification which recognises businesses with comprehensive climate strategy, we now have an easy process to be able to report emissions data to our investors, it's made the process a lot easier and more streamlined."

The Impact

The shift from a partial Scope 1 and 2 footprint to a full-scope, audit-ready picture has changed how Alba Trees think about their carbon programme. The data now reflects the business as it really operates, the 18-point plan is anchored in real numbers, and reporting that used to be a stretch is now a streamlined part of the year.

"What stood out most was the hands-on and responsive support that continued through the process. The platform was intuitive, but what really exceeded expectations was the guidance and clarity provided when questions arose. We were not just using a data platform; we were working with a partner who was genuinely invested in helping us succeed. The combination of ease of use and proactive support made a noticeable difference."

Looking Ahead

With the baseline in place and an 18-point plan now driving activity, Alba's focus is on working through the plan, tracking progress against the baseline, and engaging the wider team and customer base in carbon reduction as a shared effort.

Alba Trees' Advice to Other Businesses

"Getting our carbon baseline has been less daunting than you might expect. The baseline is the first step towards building a credible action plan. Without this it is impossible to analyse and measure your successes. The action plan allows you to target some quick wins to accelerate change and to develop a realistic timeline. The emissions reduction plan ensures you can engage the wider business and its customers to ensure it becomes a collective target to drive improvements. Make the most of the support available – having guidance along the way can save a lot of time and uncertainty and helps turn what can feel like a complex process into something much more manageable."

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