Property

Category 2 Capital Goods Scope 3 emissions – The best calculation guidance

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Calculating Scope 3 Emissions GHG Category 2 Capital Goods

Category description – Category 2 Capital Goods includes all upstream (i.e., cradle-to-gate) emissions from the production of capital goods purchased or acquired by the reporting company in the reporting year. Emissions from the use of capital goods by the reporting company are accounted for in either scope 1 (e.g., for fuel use) or scope 2 (e.g., for electricity use), rather than in scope 3.

This guidance page for Category 2 Capital Goods 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.

Overview – Category 2 Capital Goods

Category 2 Capital Goods refer to a specific classification within capital goods, a broad category encompassing durable assets used by businesses to produce goods or services. These goods are essential for the operation and expansion of a business, serving as long-term investments rather than short-term expenses. Category 2 Capital Goods typically include machinery, equipment, vehicles, and other tangible assets that facilitate production processes but have a shorter lifespan compared to Category 1 Capital Goods.

Here’s an overview of Category 2 Capital Goods:

Definition and Classification:

  1. Capital Goods: Capital goods are tangible assets used by businesses to produce goods or services. They are distinguished from consumable goods by their longevity and role in the production process.
  2. Category 2 Classification: Capital goods are often categorized based on their lifespan, with Category 2 referring to assets that have a medium-term lifespan compared to Category 1, which includes long-term assets like buildings and land.

Characteristics:

  1. Durability: Category 2 Capital Goods are durable assets designed to withstand regular use over an extended period but typically have a shorter lifespan compared to Category 1 assets.Category 2 Capital Goods
  2. Utility in Production: These goods are essential for the production process, directly contributing to the creation of goods or services by a business.
  3. Depreciation: Like all capital assets, Category 2 Capital Goods undergo depreciation, losing value over time due to wear and tear, technological obsolescence, or market fluctuations.
  4. Investment: They represent significant investments for businesses, requiring substantial financial outlay upfront but offering long-term returns through increased productivity and efficiency.

Examples:

  1. Machinery and Equipment: This includes manufacturing machinery, assembly line equipment, packaging machines, and other industrial tools necessary for production processes.
  2. Vehicles: Trucks, vans, forklifts, and other vehicles used for transporting raw materials, finished goods, or employees within the production facility or to external locations.
  3. Tools and Instruments: Hand tools, power tools, precision instruments, and other equipment used by workers to perform tasks related to production, maintenance, or quality control.
  4. Technology and Software: Computer systems, software applications, and technological infrastructure used to automate processes, manage operations, or analyze data for decision-making purposes.

Importance:

  1. Enhanced Productivity: Category 2 Capital Goods play a crucial role in enhancing productivity and efficiency within a business, allowing for faster production cycles and higher output levels.
  2. Competitive Advantage: Investing in modern, efficient capital goods can provide a competitive edge by reducing costs, improving quality, and enabling innovation in products or processes.
  3. Capacity Expansion: These assets enable businesses to expand their production capacity, meet growing demand, or enter new markets by investing in additional machinery, equipment, or technology.
  4. Risk Management: Upgrading or replacing Category 2 Capital Goods can mitigate risks associated with equipment breakdowns, technological obsolescence, or changes in market demand.

Considerations:

  1. Cost-Benefit Analysis: Businesses must conduct thorough cost-benefit analyses before investing in Category 2 Capital Goods to ensure that the benefits in terms of increased productivity or cost savings outweigh the initial investment and ongoing operational costs.
  2. Maintenance and Upkeep: Proper maintenance and timely upgrades are essential to prolong the lifespan and optimize the performance of Category 2 Capital Goods, reducing the risk of downtime and costly repairs.
  3. Technological Advancements: Rapid advancements in technology may render certain capital goods obsolete sooner than expected, necessitating careful consideration of the asset’s lifespan and future market trends.
  4. Regulatory Compliance: Businesses must comply with regulations and standards governing the use of capital goods, particularly regarding safety, environmental impact, and industry-specific requirements.

Conclusion:

Category 2 Capital Goods form a vital component of business investment, facilitating production processes, enhancing productivity, and driving economic growth. By understanding their characteristics, importance, and considerations, businesses can make informed decisions regarding the acquisition, maintenance, and utilization of these essential assets to achieve long-term success and competitiveness in the marketplace.

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Scope 1 emissions – Best read

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Scope 1 emissions

Scope 1 emissions are emissions from sources owned or controlled by a reporting entity. For example, emissions from equipment, a vehicle or production processes that are owned or controlled by the reporting entity are considered Scope 1 emissions. These emissions include all direct emissions within the entity’s inventory boundary.

The combination of organizational and operational boundaries make up a reporting entity’s inventory boundary, which is also called the reporting boundary. Refer to Organizational boundaries for information on organizational boundaries and Operational boundaries for information on operational boundaries.

The GHG Protocol is designed to avoid double counting GHG emissions. That is, two or more reporting entities should never account for the same emissions as Scope 1 emissions. For example, emissions from the generation of heat, electricity or stream that is sold to another entity are not subtracted from Scope 1 emissions but are reported as Scope 2 emissions by the entity that purchases the related energy.

Theoretically, if every entity and individual throughout the world reported their GHG emissions using the same organizational boundary (e.g., equity share, financial control or operational control approach), the total of all Scope 1 emissions would equal the total GHGs emitted throughout the world.

Types of Scope 1 emissions

The GHG Protocol describes four types of Scope 1 emissions: stationary combustion, mobile combustion, process emissions and fugitive emissions. The type of emissions that are included in Scope 1 will vary based on the industry and business model of the reporting entity.

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IFRS 15 Real estate Revenue complete and accurate recognition

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IFRS 15 Real estate

Under IFRS 15 real estate entities recognize revenue over the construction period if certain conditions are met.

Key points

  • An entity must judge whether the different elements of a contract can be separated from each other based on the distinct criteria. A more complex judgment exists for real estate developers that provide services or deliver common properties or amenities in addition to the property being sold.
  • Contract modifications are common in the real estate development industry. Contract modifications might needIFRS 15 Real estate to be accounted for as a new contract, or combined and accounted for together with an existing contract.
  • Real estate managers may structure their arrangements such that services and fees are in different contracts. These contracts may meet the requirements to be accounted for as a combined contract when applying IFRS 15.
  • Real estate management entities are often entitled to several different fees. IFRS 15 will require a manager to consider whether the services should be viewed as a single performance obligation, or whether some of these services are ‘distinct’ and should therefore be treated as separate performance obligations.
  • Variable consideration for entities in the real estate industry may come in the form of claims, awards and incentive payments, discounts, rebates, refunds, credits, price concessions, performance bonuses, penalties or other similar items.
  • Real estate developers will need to consider whether they meet any of the three criteria necessary for recognition of revenue over time.

IFRS 15 core principle

The core principle of IFRS 15 is that revenue reflects the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.

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EBITDA – 1 Best complete read

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EBITDA – Earnings before interest taxes depreciation and amortisation

– is a measure of a company’s overall financial performance and is used as an alternative to simple earnings or net income in some circumstances. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, however, can be misleading because it strips out the cost of capital investments like property, plant, and equipment.

This metric also excludes expenses associated with debt by adding back interest expense and taxes to earnings. Nonetheless, it is a more precise measure of corporate performance since it is able to show earnings before the influence of accounting and financial deductions.EBITDA

Simply put, Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation is a measure of profitability. While there is no legal requirement for companies to disclose their EBITDA (here also written as EBIT-DA), according to the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (US GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), it can be worked out and reported using information found in a company’s financial statements.

The earnings, tax, and interest figures are found on the income statement, while the depreciation and amortisation figures are normally found in the notes to operating profit or on the cash flow statement. The usual shortcut to calculate EBITDA is to start with operating profit, also called earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) and then add back depreciation and amortisation.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/EBITDA

Origins of EBITDA

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Cloud based software in IFRS 15 Revenue

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Cloud based software

Historically, companies acquiring IT and other infrastructure have only faced one decision – buy or lease? From a financial perspective, the choice was simple: lease, because it didn’t require up-front capital and potentially allowed assets to be kept off balance sheet under the old accounting rules. A buy decision meant an up-front investment of capital and a depreciating asset on the balance sheet.

However, with the evolution of technology, a new choice has emerged – cloud services, which can be obtained without Cloud based softwarebuying or leasing. Instead of expensive data centres and IT software licenses, users can choose to simply have a provider host all of their infrastructure and services. No upfront investment is required, just a simple monthly series of payments that can be scaled up, scaled back or cancelled as needed. But what does all of this mean for income statements – and your company’s balance sheet?

Cloud accounting – a different business model

Historically, any company purchasing its IT infrastructure would capitalise the costs and amortise them over time. Under the new leases standard, a company using a lease or hire purchase arrangement to access IT infrastructure would end up with a similar capitalised asset and amortisation charge over time. However, the cloud alternative represents a fundamentally different business model, one where, unlike the legacy purchase model, a user of cloud services does not ever own the underlying assets.

While this isn’t yet another article about the leases standard, it’s useful to step through some of the sensitivities in financial metrics under the leasing standard. While cloud services are likely to result in a differing accounting treatment, the all too familiar concerns in lease accounting are still relevant.

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IRR How to calculate

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IRR How to calculate

The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is the discount rate that makes the net present value (NPV) of a project zero. In other words, it is the expected compound annual rate of return that will be earned on a project or investment.

When calculating IRR, expected cash flows for a project or investment are given and the NPV equals zero. Put another way, the initial cash investment for the beginning period will be equal to the present value of the future cash flows of that investment. (Cost paid = present value of future cash flows, and hence, the net present value = 0).

Once the internal rate of return is determined, it is typically compared to a company’s hurdle rate or cost of capital. If the IRR is greater than or equal to the cost of capital, the company would accept the project as a good investment. (That is, of course, assuming this is the sole basis for the decision).

In reality, there are many other quantitative and qualitative factors that are considered in an investment decision). If the IRR is lower than the hurdle rate, then it would be rejected, if IRR is the only investment consideration.

Under IFRS 16 ‘Leases’, a similar calculation is used to calculate discount rates are used to determine the present value of the lease payments used to measure a lessee’s lease liability. Discount rates are also used to determine lease classification for a lessor and to measure a lessor’s net investment in a lease.

For lessees, the lease payments are required to be discounted using:

For lessors, the discount rate will always be the interest rate implicit in the lease.

The interest rate implicit in the lease is defined in IFRS 16 as ‘the rate of interest that causes the present value of (a) the lease payments and (b) the unguaranteed residual value to equal the sum of (i) the fair value of the underlying asset and (ii) any initial direct costs of the lessor.’

The lessee’s incremental borrowing rate is defined in IFRS 16 as ‘the rate of interest that a lessee would have to pay to borrow over a similar term, and with a similar security, the funds necessary to obtain an asset of a similar value to the right-of-use asset in a similar economic environment’.

The incremental borrowing rate is determined on the commencement date of the lease. As a result, it will incorporate the impact of significant economic events and other changes in circumstances arising between lease inception and commencement.

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Separate lease and non-lease components for real estate under IFRS 16

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Separate lease and non-lease components

Many real estate leases contain multiple lease and non-lease components, which landlords need to identify and account for separately.

1 Overview

IFRS 16 requires a landlord to separate the lease and non-lease components of a contract. (IFRS 16.12, IFRS 16.BC135(b))

In practice, real estate contracts may contain:

  • one or more lease components: e.g. the right to use land and/or a building; and
  • one or more non-lease components: e.g. maintenance, cleaning and provision of utilities.

For lessors, identifying components and allocating consideration will determine the split of lease income vs revenue from contracts with customers. These amounts are often presented and have to be disclosed separately. For example, a real estate company will need to distinguish lease income from revenue for other property related services – e.g. common area maintenance (CAM). (IFRS 15.110, IFRS 15.114, IFRS 16.90)

The key steps in accounting for the components of a contract are as follows.

Identify separate lease components (go here)

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Identify non-lease components (go here)

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Allocate consideration (go here)

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Reallocate consideration on lease modification (go here)

2 Typical lease components in real estate contracts

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Measurement of investment property

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Measurement of investment property

Introduction

Control of real estate can be obtained through:

  • direct acquisition of real estate;
  • construction of real estate; or
  • leasing of real estate, under either operating or finance leases.

Entities normally perform strategic planning before the acquisition, construction or leasing, to assess the feasibility of the project.

Entities might incur costs attributable to the acquisition, construction or leasing of real estate, during this first step of the cycle. Entities might also enter into financing arrangements to secure the liquidity required for the acquisition and construction of real estate.

The direct acquisition of investment property is presented here and the lease of investment property is presented here (Landlord lease accounting).

In this narrative the investment properties under construction (i.e. initial recognition of the development of real estate) and subsequent measurement of investment properties are handled.

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