The Environment Agency today published the long-awaited final edition of the CRC Performance League Table (PLT), which ranks organisations based on their energy efficiency performance for 2011/12.

According to a spokeswoman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the 2,097 CRC participants achieved a total reduction of 7.63 per cent (4.64MtCO2) in reported carbon emissions compared to 2010/11.

"We know from speaking to participant organisations that many are improving their energy management and investing in energy efficiency," she said.

"The CRC scheme will continue to play a major role in helping the UK achieve its carbon reduction targets and it is expected to deliver non-traded carbon reductions of around 17MtCO2 by 2027."

However, David Symons of environmental consultancy WSP noted that while average reported emissions and energy use improved, "only 500 out of the 2,000 companies actually reduced their emissions in real terms last year".

The league table is determined using three complex metrics drawn from the absolute percentage change in an organisation's reported energy use, improvements in energy efficiency determined by the percentage change in reported energy use per unit of revenue, and actions taken to curb energy use and carbon emissions before the CRC scheme was launched.

The rankings have proven highly controversial, with critics arguing the metrics fail to take sufficient account of organisations' individual circumstances or earlier steps they may have taken to improve energy efficiency. Opponents of the scheme argue that organisations that have already made significant energy efficiency savings will find it harder to deliver further deep year-on-year savings, meaning they are vulnerable to being overtaken by companies that have not embraced efficiency best practices earlier.

As such the government ruled late last year that this year's second publication of the PLT would be its last, meaning companies still have to report on their energy use and carbon emissions under the CRC while also face a levy based on their energy use, but will no longer be officially ranked based on their performance.

"Many will not mourn the passing of the CRC league table," said Ben Wielgus, lead CRC adviser at KPMG, which ranked in 38th place after climbing from 99th position last year. "Certainly it was one of the more controversial aspects of the scheme. However, it is important to remember that it was one of the first attempts ever to nationally rank more than 2,000 diverse and varied organisations."

He also warned that while the league table will be phased out organisations are still likely to be judged on their CRC performance given the Environment Agency will continue to publish information on their reported energy use and carbon emissions.

"Without a league table, the reputational driver from the CRC will be severely diminished," he said. "[But] we expect there to be a more varied set of responses to the planned approach of comparing organisations in the scheme based on an intensity measure that they select. This will rely heavily on the industries themselves to do the comparisons."

With this year's PLT representing the first time the league table has been based on all three metrics there was huge movement in the rankings, with strong performers from last year such as Manchester United, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and Center Parcs falling a long way.

In contrast, construction firm BAM Group took the top spot with high scores for its absolute and growth metric, narrowly beating engineering rival Skanska.

Motorola took third place, followed by Manchester City Council and Bradford & Bingley.

The Department for Communities and Local Government was the best performing central government department in eight place, while Carillion took seventh spot, making it a good year for building firms.

In contrast, Kerry Holdings (UK) Limited propped up the league table, with Tennants Consolidate Limited and ING Bank NV completing the final three places on the 2,097-strong rankings.