Scope 3 GHG Emissions About More Than Suppliers

Abstract

Scope 3, despite being often the largest of the scopes is less frequently reported. What Are Scope 3 Emissions?It's sometimes misunderstood that a company's scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions are the scope 1 and 2 emissions of their suppliers. Stepping back; scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from sources such as stationary combustion such as furnaces, ovens and central heating plus direct mobile combustion such as in company-owned vehicles like company cars or delivery vans. Although scope 3 will include the scope 1 and 2 emissions of suppliers, it also includes items that are very much the emissions of the reporting organization. While some scope 3 emission sources can be a little harder to collate data for, the size of their contribution to an organization's greenhouse gas emissions in total means that environmental responsibility demands sufficient commitment to their measurement and so the visibility that lends allowing for reduction opportunities from them. Let's examine these scope 3 emission sources and consider if there is a legitimate reason for their omission:First, emissions from business travel: If an employee travels to a business meeting on behalf of the company, in their own car and then re-claims that in expenses, these are scope 3 emissions. Reducing the quantity of water supplied saves money, conserves an essential resource, reduces the quantity of wastewater to be treated, reduces your greenhouse gas emissions - and belongs in scope 3.