Scope 3 Insights

Scope 3 emissions are indirect CO2e emissions that occur outside of a company’s direct operations, within its value chain—both upstream (e.g. supplier emissions, raw material extraction, transportation) and downstream (e.g. product use, disposal, recycling). These emissions account for up to 90% of a company’s carbon footprint and span 15 categories, including purchased goods and services, waste disposal, employee commuting, and investments. Addressing Scope 3 emissions is critical for meeting climate targets, such as the EU’s goal for net-zero emissions by 2050.

Calculating Scope 3 emissions is complex and time-consuming as it involves assessing the entire downstream value chain, from waste generation and end-of-life product treatment to reverse logistics activities. Mapping each stage, such as transportation, collection, sorting, recycling, energy recovery, landfill, and incineration, requires extensive data from multiple sources.
Under the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), businesses must report Scope 3 emissions alongside Scope 1 and 2, providing a comprehensive overview of their total carbon footprint. They must also set reduction targets to ensure accountability in achieving net-zero emissions.

Reducing Scope 3 emissions requires optimizing supply chains, improving waste management, and boosting recycling efforts. RLG supports businesses by providing transparent emissions tracking across the value chain, making navigating the complexities of emissions easier. RLG helps organizations minimize their carbon footprint while fostering circular economy practices through efficient reverse logistics, material recovery, and sustainable end-of-life treatment.

Yes, net-zero goals must address Scope 3 emissions. These indirect emissions across the value chain need to be reduced for a company to truly reach net-zero emissions and minimize its overall environmental impact.

Avoided Emissions, also known as Scope 4 emissions, are the difference between GHG emissions that occur including recycled and secondary material inputs and GHG emissions that would have occurred without any recycled/secondary materials, thus reflecting the “positive” impact of using these materials.

The 15 categories cover various indirect emissions across a company’s value chain, including purchased goods and services, business travel, waste disposal, employee commuting, and investments, among others. Aligned with RLG’s Circular Take Back solutions, Scope 3 Insights will focus on emissions from waste generated in operations and end-of-life treatment of sold products (services)

We want to offer Scope 3 Insights globally and across all our material streams. In Germany, Scope 3 Insights will support our clients as an add-on service to our Compliance and Circular Take-Back services.

If you are an existing client, we already have visibility into your products’ or materials’ end-of-life processes, allowing us to calculate precise emissions.

If you are not an existing client, you can still contact us to learn more about the service. We would be happy to assess your current state and advise on a solution that provides you with a competitive edge.

Scope 3 Insights provides precise data insights as an add-on service to our Compliance (PRO) and Circular Take-Back offering.

Beyond that, we are happy to support you with emission reporting based on average or secondary data and to advise on reduction strategies.

For countries where we manage your processes as a PRO, we have access to primary data from suppliers to calculate your CO2e emissions. For other countries, we can provide emission reporting based on average or secondary data.