The 3 Scopes of Carbon: A Guide to Measuring and Reducing Your Impact

View profile for Raja Shazrin Shah Raja Ehsan Shah

Chemical Engineer | Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia | Professional Technologist | Environmentalist | Environmental Consultant | ESG Consultant | Adjunct Professor | Carbon Footprint | Vegetarian

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟯 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀, 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 When companies talk about “cutting carbon,” they often focus only on what they can see the fuel they burn, the electricity they buy, or the emissions rising from their own chimneys. But here’s the truth: that’s just the beginning. To truly understand your climate impact and to lead meaningful change you need to look beyond your own walls. 👣 🌏 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝟭 is where it all starts: your direct emissions. These come from sources you own or control the fuel used in company vehicles, the gas burned in boilers, or emissions from production processes. They are the easiest to identify and the ones most visibly tied to your daily operations. 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝟮 takes you one step further. These are your indirect energy emissions the carbon released to generate the electricity, steam, or cooling you purchase. You may not burn the fuel yourself, but your demand drives the emissions elsewhere. This is where the shift to renewable energy and energy efficiency becomes a powerful lever of change. And then comes 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝟯 - the invisible giant. It covers your entire value chain, both upstream and downstream. From the raw materials your suppliers produce, to the logistics that move your goods, to the use and disposal of your products by customers, this is where most emissions truly live. For many organisations, Scope 3 accounts for more than 70% of total emissions. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀. 🚶♂️ Reporting on Scope 1 and 2 is good practice; acting on Scope 3 is transformative. It requires more than data it calls for collaboration, innovation, and accountability across every link of your business ecosystem. It means engaging suppliers to co-create low-carbon solutions instead of merely enforcing compliance. It means redesigning products to be durable, repairable, and resource-efficient. And it means empowering customers to use and dispose of products responsibly, extending sustainability beyond your balance sheet. The shift from control to collaboration defines the future of climate leadership. Because your carbon footprint doesn’t end at your doorstep, it stretches across every relationship, every decision, every transaction connected to your business. Once you understand that full picture, you stop counting emissions, and start transforming systems. 📸 UN HCR #CarbonFootprint #Scope3 #NetZero #ClimateAction #Sustainability #ESG #Decarbonisation #PlanetaryHealth #PlanetaryBoundaries #GHG #ValueChain

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Brilliant breakdown. Real climate leadership begins when companies look beyond their own walls and invest in collaboration across the value chain.

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