Have you heard of Scope 4 emissions?

Scope 4 emissions, also known as avoided emissions, quantify the emissions reductions that occur as a result of the use and disposal of a company’s products or services. This extends the sustainability conversation beyond the operational boundaries of an organisation, revealing the ripple effects of its offerings on emissions reductions.

Some companies have already set targets relating to their Scope 4 emissions, such as BT Group who are helping customers avoid 60m tonnes of CO2e by using their products and services by 31 March 2030, such as through their full fibre broadband helping customers to reduce personal or work-related travel by being able to work from home, and growth technologies like cloud computing and the Internet of Things📱

The concept of Scope 4 emissions is in its infancy, with there not yet being standardised processes for measuring, calculating and reporting emissions. Calculating Scope 4 emissions can be challenging so start with your Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions first before you move on to looking at your Scope 4 emissions ✨

Curious to learn more? Take a look at the World Resources Institute Institute framework for estimating and reporting avoided emissions, the leading guidance we have right now on this evolving area: https://ghgprotocol.org/sites/default/files/standards/18_WP_Comparative-Emissions_final.pdf

#scope4
#sustainability
#climateaction
#climatechange