What's the difference between Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions?

To understand your carbon footprint, it helps to categorize emissions by where they originate. These are defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol:

Scope 1: Direct Emissions

These are emissions from sources that you own or control directly.

• Examples: Fuel burned in company vehicles, natural gas used for heating your office, or chemical reactions from manufacturing processes on-site.

Scope 2: Indirect Emissions (Energy)

These are emissions resulting from the generation of electricity, steam, heating, or cooling that you purchase and consume.

• Examples: The electricity pulled from the grid to power your lights or computers. While you aren't burning the fuel yourself, the utility company is doing it on your behalf to serve you.

Scope 3: Indirect Emissions (Value Chain)

These occur in your "value chain"—the upstream and downstream activities connected to your operations. These are often the most difficult to measure but frequently represent the largest portion of a total footprint.

• Examples:
  • Upstream: Emissions from the production of raw materials you purchase or business travel taken by employees.
  • Downstream: Emissions from customers using the products you sold, or the transport and distribution of goods to retailers.

---

In summary:

• Scope 1: What you burn.
• Scope 2: What you buy (energy).
• Scope 3: Everything else (suppliers, travel, product use, waste).

If you’re looking to reduce your impact, starting with Scopes 1 and 2 is usually the most straightforward path, as you have direct control over those sources. Addressing Scope 3 often requires collaboration with partners and suppliers.