Supply Chain Scope 3 Calculator

Addressing the impacts of climate change is increasingly important for public and private stakeholders alike. While major corporations and organizations have taken steps to quantify, disclose, and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sources they control (Scope 1 and Scope 2), the largest contribution to climate change comes from Scope 3 emissions—those that occur beyond an entity’s operational boundaries and which primarily arise from activities of multi-tiered supply chains. 

Challenge

How can a company quantify and mitigate emissions across the numerous and complex levels of their supply chain? How can they do it in a cost-effective, simplified, and transparent manner that minimizes need for technical expertise? 

Solution

To help companies easily quantify their supply chain emissions, GZA’s sustainability team created the simple and streamlined GZA Scope 3 Calculator (V2.0). Its development was based on the team’s deep knowledge of GHG life cycle assessments and strategic supplier engagement programs. The Calculator gives organizations instant insights into their Scope 3 emissions through a variety of functions and features: 

• Environmentally-Extended Input-Output emissions factors for over 400 commodities, adjusted for currency inflation and grid decarbonization
• Automated summaries and charting of supply chain GHG emissions sorted by Scope 3 category
• Hotspot analyses of upstream GHG emissions sorted by user-defined suppliers and by industry
• Resources and links to Scope 3 guidance, and recommendations to help companies continue to address their Scope 3
   

Benefit

GZA’s Scope 3 Calculator has helped numerous organizations reduce the complexity of quantifying their supply chain emissions, allowing them to effectively respond to stakeholder needs and implement their climate change strategies.