What are Scope 1 emissions?
Direct emissions from sources an organization owns or controls, such as fuel burned in boilers and company vehicles.
What are Scope 2 emissions?
Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling.
What are Scope 3 emissions?
All other indirect emissions in the value chain, such as purchased goods, transport, business travel, use of sold products and end-of-life treatment. They are often the largest share.
How are emissions measured?
Organizations commonly use the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1 to quantify and report emissions, supported by reliable activity data and emission factors.
Key takeaways
- Scope 1 is direct; Scope 2 is purchased energy; Scope 3 is the value chain.
- Scope 3 is often the largest and hardest to measure.
- Data quality drives credible reporting.
Frequently asked questions
Are Scope 3 emissions mandatory to report?
It depends on the reporting framework and jurisdiction; many frameworks increasingly expect them.
What is ISO 14064-1?
An international standard for quantifying and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and removals at organization level.
What is an emission factor?
A value that converts activity data, such as litres of fuel, into greenhouse gas emissions.