Scope 3.11: Use of sold products

Learn how the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol defines Scope 3.11 emissions, how the protocol recommends calculating them and how they are actually calculated in Climate Reporting

How are Scope 3.11 emissions defined in the GHG Protocol?

Scope 3.11 covers emissions resulting from the use of goods and services sold by the reporting company. Companies are required to include direct use-phase emissions of sold products, and should also account for indirect use-phase emissions when they are expected to be significant. Companies may optionally include emissions associated with maintenance of sold products during use.

A reporting company’s Scope 3 emissions from use of sold products include the Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions of end users. For example, if an oil and gas company produces oil and sells it to another company, the emissions from burning that oil are reported as Scope 1 emissions by the buying company. However, for the oil and gas producer, these same emissions are accounted for under Scope 3.11. The table below explains in more detail the difference between direct and indirect use-phase emissions.

How does the GHG Protocol recommend calculating Scope 3.11 emissions?

Calculating emissions from Scope 3.11 typically requires product design specifications and assumptions about how consumers use products (e.g., use profiles, assumed product lifetimes). Companies are required to report a description of the methodologies and assumptions used to calculate emissions.

Companies should first determine the category in which their products belong, and then apply a calculation method that is specific to the category.

• Products that directly consume energy during use
  • This category is relevant for products that directly consume energy during use. For example: automobiles, aircraft engines, electrical appliances etc.,
  • To calculate use-phase emissions of products belonging to this category, the reporting company must multiply the lifetime number of uses of each product by the amount sold and an emission factor per use.
  • Possible activity data includes:
    1. Total lifetime uses of product AND
    2. Quantities of product sold AND
    3. Fuel use per use of product OR
    4. Electricity consumption per use of product AND
    5. Refrigerant leakage per use of product
  • Possible data sources can include:
    1. Internal data systems
    2. Sales records
    3. Surveys
  • Emission factors needed
    1. Fuel emission factors, expressed in units of emissions per unit of energy consumed (e.g. kg CO2e/liter)
    2. Electricity emission factors, expressed in units of emissions per unit of electricity consumed (e.g. kg CO2e/kWh)
    3. Non-combustion emission factors, expressed in units of emissions per unit of energy consumed (e.g. kg CO2e/liter)
  • It is important to consider the region where products are used, especially if the product consumes electricity because electricity grid emission factors can vary significantly. If its product is used globally, a company may consider using a global average electricity emission factor but estimating product use at a more granular level (either regional or national) and applying regional or national electricity grid emission factors would result in more accurate emissions.
• Fuels and feedstocks
  • This category is relevant for fuels and/or feedstocks. For example: Petroleum products, gasoline, diesel etc.,
  • To calculate use-phase emissions of products belonging to this category, the reporting company must collect fuel use data and multiply them by relevant fuel combustion emission factors. Note that only the combustion emissions should be reported in this category, not the upstream emissions associated with the feedstock/fuel (which is covered under Scope 1 and 2 of the reporting company)
  • Possible activity data includes:
    1. Total quantity of fuel/feedstock sold
  • Possible data sources can include:
    1. Internal data systems
    2. Sales records
  • Emission factors needed
    1. Fuel emission factors, expressed in units of emissions per unit of energy consumed (e.g. kg CO2e/liter). The emission factors should include only the combustion process.
• Greenhouse gases and products that contain or form greenhouse gases that are emitted during use
  • This category is relevant for products that contain or form GHGs during operation or use. For example: refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, fertilisers etc.,
  • To calculate use-phase emissions for products in this category, the reporting company must multiply the quantity of products sold by the percentage of greenhouse gases released per unit of gas contained in the product, and then by the global warming potential (GWP) of the released gases.
  • Possible activity data includes:
    1. Total quantities of products sold AND
    2. Quantities of GHGs contained per product AND
    3. Percentage of GHGs released throughout the lifetime of the product.
  • Possible data sources can include:
    1. Internal data systems
    2. Sales records
    3. Industry databases
    4. Research papers
  • Emission factors needed
    1. GWP of the GHGs contained in the product, expressed in units of carbon dioxide per unit kilogram of the GHG (e.g., 25 kg CO2e/kg)
• Products that indirectly consume energy during use
  • This category is relevant for products that indirectly consume energy during use. For example: food (requires cooking), apparel (requires washing and drying) etc.,
  • To calculate use-phase emissions for products in this category, the reporting company must create a typical use-phase profile over the lifetime of the product and multiply by relevant emission factors.
  • Possible activity data includes:
    1. Average number of uses over lifetime of product AND
    2. Average use scenarios AND
    3. Fuel and/or electricity consumed in use scenarios AND
    4. Refrigerant leakage in use scenarios AND
    5. GHGs emitted indirectly in use scenarios.
  • Possible data sources can include:
    1. Product category rules
    2. Research papers/studies
    3. Industry recognized benchmark testing specifications
  • Emission factors needed
    1. Fuel emission factors, expressed in units of emissions per unit of energy consumed (e.g. kg CO2e/liter)
    2. Electricity emission factors, expressed in units of emissions per unit of electricity consumed (e.g. kg CO2e/kWh)
    3. Non-combustion emission factors, expressed in units of emissions per unit of energy consumed (e.g. kg CO2e/liter)

How are Scope 3.11 emissions calculated in Climate Reporting?

Climate Reporting currently does not support Scope 3.11.

How are Scope 3.11 emissions displayed in Climate Reporting ?

App

Climate Reporting currently does not support Scope 3.11.

Report

Climate Reporting currently does not support Scope 3.11.