This is the scientific terminology used to define different categories of greenhouse gas emissions. The gradings group together emissions from the same source in a value chain, and the word ‘scope’ is the academic word meaning type or group.

The Scope 1, 2, 3 concept was introduced by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to organise emissions in a structured way that organisations can then target through climate action.

Scope 1 emissions are those from sources that a company owns or controls, such as the burning of fuel to power their business activity.

Scope 2 emissions are from indirect and external third-party sources, such as the gas or electricity taken from the grid to power factories and offices.

Scope 3 emissions are also indirect but are associated with a company’s value chain and not covered in Scope 2, such as the raw material extraction used at a previous stage of production, and also the emissions occurring from product use and disposal, as well as business travel. Scope 3 emissions typically make up the majority of a company’s total carbon footprint.