Scope 3 emissions

Scope 3 emissions are the emissions in a company's value chain that it does not directly control, including those from the products it buys.

The GHG Protocol splits a company's emissions into Scope 1 (its own fuel), Scope 2 (the energy it buys) and Scope 3 (everything else in its value chain). For brands and retailers, the goods they buy are usually the largest part of Scope 3.

That is why brands ask suppliers for product carbon footprints: a supplier's footprint is a more precise input to the brand's Scope 3 than an estimate based on spend.