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Category 9 Downstream Transportation and Distribution – The best read

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Category 9 Downstream Transportation and Distribution

Category description – Category 9 Downstream Transportation and Distribution includes emissions that occur in the reporting year from transportation and distribution of sold products in vehicles and facilities not owned or controlled by the reporting company.

Overview – Category 9 Downstream Transportation and Distribution

Reporting on Category 9 Downstream Transportation and Distribution involves a comprehensive analysis of the logistical processes and operations involved in transporting goods from production facilities to end consumers. Here’s an executive overview:

  1. Scope and Definition: Category 9 Downstream Transportation and Distribution encompasses the movement of goods from manufacturing plants or warehouses to various distribution centers, retailers, or directly to customers. It involves multiple modes of transportation such as road, rail, sea, and air, as well as associated warehousing and distribution activities.
  2. Key Components:
    • Transportation Modes: Assess the utilization of different transportation modes and their efficiency in terms of cost, speed, and reliability.
    • Distribution Network: Evaluate the design and optimization of distribution networks to ensure timely delivery and minimize costs.
    • Warehousing: Analyze the efficiency of warehousing operations in terms of inventory management, storage capacity, and order fulfillment.
    • Last-Mile Delivery: Focus on the final stage of delivery to customers, addressing challenges and strategies for improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.
  3. Performance Metrics:
    • On-Time Delivery: Measure the percentage of deliveries made according to schedule to assess reliability.
    • Transit Time: Evaluate the average time taken for goods to move through the transportation and distribution network.
    • Cost per Unit: Analyze the cost incurred per unit of goods transported, considering transportation, warehousing, and handling expenses.
    • Inventory Turnover: Assess the rate at which inventory is sold and replaced, indicating efficiency in managing stock levels.
  4. Challenges and Opportunities:
    • Infrastructure: Address challenges related to transportation infrastructure, such as road congestion, port capacity, and airport efficiency.
    • Sustainability: Explore opportunities for reducing the environmental impact of transportation and distribution operations through alternative fuels, route optimization, and packaging innovations.
    • Technology Integration: Highlight the role of technology in optimizing logistics processes, including the use of IoT devices, predictive analytics, and automation to improve efficiency and visibility across the supply chain.
  5. Regulatory and Compliance:
    • Compliance with Regulations: Ensure adherence to regulations governing transportation safety, labor practices, environmental standards, and customs procedures.
    • Trade Policies: Monitor changes in trade policies and tariffs that may impact transportation costs, lead times, and supply chain resilience.
  6. Strategic Recommendations:
    • Network Optimization: Identify opportunities to streamline the transportation and distribution network to reduce costs and improve service levels.
    • Technology Investment: Recommend investments in transportation management systems (TMS), warehouse management systems (WMS), and tracking technologies to enhance visibility and control.
    • Collaboration: Encourage collaboration with transportation partners and suppliers to leverage economies of scale, share resources, and mitigate risks.
  7. Future Outlook:
    • Market Trends: Anticipate emerging trends such as e-commerce growth, omnichannel distribution, and the adoption of electric and autonomous vehicles.
    • Resilience Planning: Prepare for disruptions such as natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and pandemics by enhancing supply chain resilience and flexibility.

In summary, reporting on Category 9 Downstream Transportation and Distribution involves assessing the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of logistics operations while identifying opportunities for improvement and strategic investment to meet evolving market demands and challenges.
A worked example – EcoFoods Inc.

For this example, let’s consider a fictional company, “EcoFoods Inc.,” which produces organic food products and distributes them to retailers and customers across the country.

1. Scope and Definition:

EcoFoods Inc. operates a complex downstream transportation and distribution network, involving the movement of perishable organic food products from its manufacturing plants to various distribution centers and ultimately to retail outlets and consumers.

2. Key Components:

a. Transportation Modes:

EcoFoods utilizes a combination of refrigerated trucks for land transportation, as well as partnerships with shipping companies for sea transportation of bulk goods. Additionally, it employs air freight for urgent deliveries of high-value or time-sensitive products.

b. Distribution Network:

The company operates multiple distribution centers strategically located across the country to ensure efficient coverage and timely delivery. These distribution centers are equipped with temperature-controlled storage facilities to maintain the freshness and quality of the organic products.

c. Warehousing:

EcoFoods’ warehousing operations focus on efficient inventory management to minimize storage costs and ensure optimal stock levels. It employs barcode scanning and RFID technology for accurate tracking of inventory movement within its warehouses.

d. Last-Mile Delivery:

The company collaborates with local courier services and offers direct-to-customer delivery options, especially for online orders. It leverages route optimization software to ensure cost-effective and timely last-mile deliveries.

3. Performance Metrics:

a. On-Time Delivery:

EcoFoods consistently achieves an on-time delivery rate of over 95%, ensuring reliability for its retail partners and customers.

b. Transit Time:

The average transit time for products from manufacturing to retail shelves is maintained within industry standards, with continuous efforts to optimize routes and minimize lead times.

c. Cost per Unit:

The company closely monitors the cost per unit transported, including transportation, warehousing, and handling expenses, to ensure competitiveness while maintaining profitability.

d. Inventory Turnover:

EcoFoods maintains a healthy inventory turnover ratio by closely managing stock levels and implementing just-in-time inventory practices to minimize carrying costs.

4. Challenges and Opportunities:

a. Infrastructure:

EcoFoods faces challenges related to infrastructure constraints, particularly road congestion during peak hours and limited capacity at certain ports. The company explores alternative transportation routes and invests in infrastructure improvements where feasible.

b. Sustainability:

Recognizing the importance of sustainability, EcoFoods invests in hybrid and electric vehicles for its transportation fleet and implements packaging innovations to reduce environmental impact.

c. Technology Integration:

The company continuously invests in transportation management systems (TMS) and warehouse management systems (WMS) to optimize logistics operations and enhance visibility across the supply chain.

5. Regulatory and Compliance:

EcoFoods ensures compliance with food safety regulations, transportation safety standards, and environmental regulations governing its operations. It maintains robust procedures for quality control and traceability throughout the supply chain.

6. Strategic Recommendations:

a. Network Optimization:

Continuously assess and optimize the distribution network to minimize transportation costs and improve delivery efficiency, considering factors such as customer demand patterns and geographic distribution.

b. Technology Investment:

Further invest in advanced tracking and monitoring technologies to enhance real-time visibility into the supply chain, enabling proactive management of logistics operations and quicker response to disruptions.

c. Collaboration:

Strengthen partnerships with transportation providers, suppliers, and retailers to foster collaboration and streamline end-to-end supply chain processes.

7. Future Outlook:

a. Market Trends:

Anticipate and adapt to emerging market trends such as increasing demand for organic products, growth in e-commerce sales, and advancements in sustainable transportation technologies.

b. Resilience Planning:

Develop robust contingency plans to mitigate risks posed by potential disruptions, including natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions.

By conducting comprehensive reporting and analysis across these key components, EcoFoods Inc. can effectively manage its downstream transportation and distribution operations, ensuring reliable and sustainable delivery of organic food products to its customers nationwide.

 

This category also includes emissions from retail and storage. Outbound transportation and distribution services that are purchased by the reporting company are excluded from category 9 and included in category 4 (Upstream transportation and distribution) because the reporting company purchases the service. Category 9 includes only emissions from transportation and distribution of products after the point of sale. See table 5.7 in the Scope 3 Standard for guidance in accounting for emissions from transportation and distribution in the value chain.

Emissions from downstream transportation and distribution can arise from transportation/storage of sold products in vehicles/facilities not owned by the reporting company. For example:

  • Warehouses and distribution centers
  • Retail facilities
  • Air transport
  • Rail transport
  • Road transport
  • Marine transport.

In this category, companies may include emissions from customers traveling to and from retail stores, which can be significant for companies that own or operate retail facilities. See chapter 5.6 of the Scope 3 Standard for guidance on the applicability of category 9 to final products and intermediate products sold by the reporting company. A reporting company’s scope 3 emissions from downstream transportation and distribution include the scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of transportation companies, distribution companies, retailers, and (optionally) customers.

If the reporting company sells an intermediate product, the company should report emissions from transportation and distribution of this intermediate product between the point of sale by the reporting company and either (1) the end consumer (if the eventual end use of the intermediate product is known) or (2) business customers (if the eventual end use of the intermediate product is unknown).

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Category 1 Purchased Goods and Services – The best calculation guidance

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Calculating Scope 3 Emissions GHG Category 1 Purchased Goods and Services

Category description – Category 1 Purchased Goods and Services includes all upstream (i.e., cradle-to-gate) emissions from the production of products purchased or acquired by the reporting company in the reporting year. Products include both goods (tangible products) and services (intangible products).

This guidance page for Category 1 Purchased Goods and Services serves as a companion to the Scope 3 Standard to offer companies practical guidance on calculating their scope 3 emissions. It provides information not contained in the Scope 3 Standard, such as methods for calculating GHG emissions for each of the 15 scope 3 categories, data sources, and worked examples.

Category 1 includes emissions from all purchased goods and services not otherwise included in the other categories of upstream scope 3 emissions (i.e., category 2 through category 8). Specific categories of upstream emissions are separately reported in category 2 through category 8 to enhance the transparency and consistency of scope 3 reports.

Emissions from the transportation of purchased products from a tier one (direct) supplier to the reporting company (in vehicles not owned or controlled by the reporting company) are accounted for in category 4 (Upstream transportation and distribution).

Companies may find it useful to differentiate between purchases of production-related products (e.g., materials, components, and parts) and non-production-related products (e.g., office furniture, office supplies, and IT support). This distinction may be aligned with procurement practices and therefore may be a useful way to more efficiently organize and collect data (see box 5.2 of the Scope 3 Standard).

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Fair value employee share options in IFRS 2

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Fair value employee share options

Share options give the holder the right to buy the underlying shares at a set price, called the ‘exercise price’, over or at the end of an agreed period. If the share price exceeds the option’s exercise price when the option is exercised, then the holder of the option profits by the amount of the excess of the share price over the exercise price. Benefit is derived from the right under the option to buy a share for less than its value.

The holder’s cost is the exercise price, whereas the value is the share price. It is not necessary for the holder to sell the share for this profit to exist. Sale only results in realisation of the profit. Because an option holder’s profit increases as the underlying share price increases, share options are used to incentivise employees to contribute to an increase in the price of the underlying shares.

Employee options are typically call options, which give holders the right but not the obligation to buy shares. However, other types of options are also traded in markets. For example, put options give holders the right to sell the underlying shares at an agreed price for a set period.

Given that holders of put options profit when share prices fall below the exercise price, such options are not viewed as aligning the interests of employees and shareholders. All references in this section to ‘share options’ are to employee call options.

Share options granted by entities often cannot be valued with reference to market prices. Many entities, even those whose shares are quoted publicly, do not have options traded on their shares. Options that trade on recognised exchanges such as the Chicago Board Options Exchange are created by market participants and are not issued by entities directly.

Even when there are exchange-traded options on an entity’s shares for which prices are available, the terms and conditions of these options are generally different from the terms and conditions of options issued by entities in share-based payments and, as a result, the prices of such traded options cannot be used directly to value share options issued in a share-based payment.

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Disclosure non-financial assets and liabilities example

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Disclosure non-financial assets and liabilities example

The guidance for this disclosure example is provided here.

8 Non-financial assets and liabilities

This note provides information about the group’s non-financial assets and liabilities, including:

  • specific information about each type of non-financial asset and non-financial liability
    • property, plant and equipment (note 8(a))
    • leases (note 8(b))
    • investment properties (note 8(c))
    • intangible assets (note 8(d))
    • deferred tax balances (note 8(e))
    • inventories (note 8(f))
    • other assets, including assets classified as held for sale (note 8(g))
    • employee benefit obligations (note 8(h))
    • provisions (note 8(i))
  • accounting policies
  • information about determining the fair value of the assets and liabilities, including judgements and estimation uncertainty involved (note 8(j)).

8(a) Property, plant and equipment

Amounts in CU’000

Freehold land

Buildings

Furniture, fittings and equipment

Machinery and vehicles

Assets under construction

Total

At 1 January 2019

Cost or fair value

11,350

28,050

27,510

70,860

–

137,770

Accumulated depreciation

–

–

-7,600

-37,025

–

-44,625

Net carrying amount

11,350

28,050

19,910

33,835

–

93,145

Movements in 2019

Exchange differences

–

–

-43

-150

–

-193

Revaluation surplus

2,700

3,140

–

–

–

5,840

Additions

2,874

1,490

2,940

4,198

3,100

14,602

Assets classified as held for sale and other disposals

-424

–

-525

-2,215

–

3,164

Depreciation charge

–

-1,540

-2,030

-4,580

–

8,150

Closing net carrying amount

16,500

31,140

20,252

31,088

3,100

102,080

At 31 December 2019

Cost or fair value

16,500

31,140

29,882

72,693

3,100

153,315

Accumulated depreciation

–

–

-9,630

-41,605

–

-51,235

Net carrying amount

16,500

31,140

20,252

31,088

3,100

102,080

Movements in 2020

Exchange differences

–

–

-230

-570

–

-800

Revaluation surplus

3,320

3,923

–

–

–

7,243

Acquisition of subsidiary

800

3,400

1,890

5,720

–

11,810

Additions

2,500

2,682

5,313

11,972

3,450

25,917

Assets classified as held for sale and other disposals

-550

–

-5,985

-1,680

–

-8,215

Transfers

–

–

950

2,150

-3,100

–

Depreciation charge

–

-1,750

-2,340

-4,380

–

-8,470

Impairment loss (ii)

–

-465

-30

-180

–

-675

Closing net carrying amount

22,570

38,930

19,820

44,120

3,450

128,890

At 31 December 2020

Cost or fair value

22,570

38,930

31,790

90,285

3,450

187,025

Accumulated depreciation

–

–

-11,970

-46,165

–

-58,135

Net carrying amount

22,570

38,930

19,820

44,120

3,450

128,890
(i) Non-current assets pledged as security

Refer to note 24 for information on non-current assets pledged as security by the group.

(ii) Impairment loss and compensation

The impairment loss relates to assets that were damaged by a fire – refer to note 4(b) for details. The whole amount was recognised as administrative expense in profit or loss, as there was no amount included in the asset revaluation surplus relating to the relevant assets. [IAS 36.130(a)]

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Excellent Study IFRS 9 Eligible Hedged items

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IFRS 9 Eligible Hedged items

the insured items of business risk exposures

Although the popular definition of hedging is an investment taken out to limit the risk of another investment, insurance is an example of a real-world hedge.

Every entity is exposed to business risks from its daily operations. Many of those risks have an impact on the cash flows or the value of assets and liabilities, and therefore, ultimately affect profit or loss. In order to manage these risk exposures, companies often enter into derivative contracts (or, less commonly, other financial instruments) to hedge them. Hedging can, therefore, be seen as a risk management activity in order to change an entity’s risk profile.

The idea of hedge accounting is to reduce (insure) this mismatch by changing either the measurement or (in the case of certain firm commitments) FRS 9 Eligible Hedged itemsrecognition of the hedged exposure, or the accounting for the hedging instrument.

The definition of a Hedged item

A hedged item is an asset, liability, firm commitment, highly probable forecast transaction or net investment in a foreign operation that

  1. exposes the entity to risk of changes in fair value or future cash flows and
  2. is designated as being hedged

The hedge item can be:

Only assets, liabilities, firm commitments and forecast transactions with an external party qualify for hedge accounting. As an exception, a hedge of the foreign currency risk of an intragroup monetary item qualifies for hedge accounting if that foreign currency risk affects consolidated profit or loss. In addition, the foreign currency risk of a highly probable forecast intragroup transaction would also qualify as a hedged item if that transaction affects consolidated profit or loss. These requirements are unchanged from IAS 39.

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Accounting Policies to First IFRS FS

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Accounting Policies to First IFRS FS – An entity must use the same accounting policies in its opening IFRS statement of financial position and throughout all periods presented in its first IFRS financial statements. Those accounting policies must comply with each IFRSs effective at the end of its first IFRS reporting period, unless there is a mandatory exception to retrospective application or an optional exemption from the requirements of IFRSs. [IFRS 1, paras 7 – 9] Note that: An entity may apply a new IFRS that is not yet mandatory if that IFRSs permits early application. The transitional provisions in IFRSs do not apply to a first-time adopter’s transition to IFRSs. Mandatory Exceptions to Retrospective Application and Optional Exemptions from … Read more

Cash flow forecasting

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A Basic Guide to Cash Flow Forecasting

Nobody wants their business to fail. Although it’s impossible to predict the future with 100% accuracy, a cash flow forecast is a tool that will help you prepare for different possible scenarios in the future.

In a nutshell, cash flow forecasting involves estimating how much cash will be coming in and out of your business within a certain period and gives you a clearer picture of your business’ financial health

What is Cash Flow Forecasting?

Cash flow forecasting is the process of estimating how much cash you’ll have and ensuring you have a sufficient amount to meet your obligations. By focusing on the revenue you expect to generate and the expenses you need to pay, cash flow forecasting can help you better manage your working capital and plan for various positive or difficult scenarios.

A cash flow forecast is composed of three key elements: beginning cash balance, cash inflows (e.g., cash sales, receivables collections), and cash outflows (e.g., expenses for utilities, rent, loan payments, payroll).

Building Out Cash Flow Scenario Models

It’s always good to create best case, worst-case and moderate financial scenarios. Through cash flow forecasting, you’ll Cash flow forecastingbe able to see the impact of these three scenarios and implement the suitable course of action. You can use the models to predict what needs to happen especially during difficult and uncertain times.

In situations where variables shift quickly such as during a recession, it is highly recommended to review and update your cash flow forecasts regularly on a monthly or even weekly basis. By monitoring your cash flow forecast closely, you’ll be able to identify warning signs such as declining revenue or increasing expenses.

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Lessee accounting under IFRS 16

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Lessee accounting under IFRS 16

The key objective of IFRS 16 is to ensure that lessees recognise assets and liabilities for their major leases.

1. Lessee accounting model

A lessee applies a single lease accounting model under which it recognises all leases on-balance sheet, unless it elects to apply the recognition exemptions (see recognition exemptions for lessees in the link). A lessee recognises a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset and a lease liability representing its obligation to make payments. [IFRS 16.22]

[IFRS 16.47, IFRS 16.49]

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IAS 16 Generation assets for Power and Utilities

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Generation assets for Power and Utilities

– are often large and complex installations. They are expensive to construct, tend to be exposed to harsh operating conditions and require periodic replacement or repair. This environment leads to specific accounting issues.

1 Fixed assets and components

IFRS has a specific requirement for ‘component’ depreciation, as described in IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment. Each significant part of an item of property, plant and equipment is depreciated separately. Significant parts of an asset that have similar useful lives and patterns of consumption can be grouped together. This requirement can create complications for utility entities, because many assets include components with a shorter useful life than the asset as a whole.

Identifying components of an asset

Generation assets might comprise a significant number of components, many of which will have differing useful lives. The significant components of these types of assets must be separately identified. This can be a complex process, particularly on transition to IFRS, because the detailed record-keeping needed for componentisation might not have been required in order to comply with national generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). This can particularly be an issue for older power plants. However, some regulators require detailed asset records, which can be useful for IFRS component identification purposes.

An entity might look to its operating data if the necessary information for components is not readily identified by the accounting records. Some components can be identified by considering the routine shutdown or overhaul schedules for power stations and the associated replacement and maintenance routines. Consideration should also be given to those components that are prone to technological obsolescence, corrosion or wear and tear that is more severe than that of the other portions of the larger asset.

First-time IFRS adopters can benefit from an exemption under IFRS 1 First-time Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards. This exemption allows entities to use a value that is not depreciated cost in accordance with IAS 16, and IAS 23 Borrowing Costs as deemed cost on transition to IFRS. It is not necessary to apply the exemption to all assets or to a group of assets.

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