[Scope 4 Emission] Introducing Scope 4 Emissions and the Upcoming Series

I’m excited to announce that I’m launching a new series focusing on Scope 4 emissions. Scope 4 emissions refer to the indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with activities that are not directly under an organization’s control but can still be influenced by it. Understanding Scope 4 emissions is essential for organizations aiming to improve their overall sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint.

To clarify, here’s a brief overview of the different scopes of emissions:

• Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. For example, emissions from fuel combustion in company vehicles.

• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling consumed by the reporting organization. For instance, the emissions produced at a power plant that generates the electricity used in your office.

• Scope 3: All other indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain. This includes emissions from the production of purchased goods, transportation, waste disposal, and employee commuting.

• Scope 4: Emissions that occur from the use of products sold or services provided, as well as lifecycle emissions of products. For example, the emissions produced when a customer uses a product sold by the company.

Example: Imagine you are a car manufacturer.

• Scope 1 emissions would come from the fuel burned by the manufacturing facility’s machinery.

• Scope 2 emissions would be from the electricity used to power the facility.

• Scope 3 emissions could include the emissions from the production of raw materials used to make the cars, as well as emissions from customers driving those cars.

• Scope 4 emissions would include the emissions associated with the fuel consumption of the cars during their entire lifespan.

In this series, I’ll be sharing academic papers, company reports, and NGO reports that explore various aspects of Scope 4 emissions. By diving into these resources, I hope to provide valuable insights that will help individuals and organizations alike better navigate their environmental impact.