Why are my emissions from Purchased Goods & Services so big?

Emissions from purchased goods and services refer to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production, transportation, and disposal of the goods and services that a company purchases to operate its business. These emissions fall under Scope 3 of the GHG Protocol, which covers indirect emissions across a company’s value chain.

Purchased Goods and Services can cover a wide range of items, such as:

• Office supplies (e.g., paper, computers, furniture)

• Raw materials used in manufacturing

• Contracted services (e.g., marketing, consulting, software)

• Packaging materials

It's very normal for these emissions to make up a significant chunk of your carbon footprint, at Trace we typically see these contributing anywhere from 60-90% to a businesses emissions.

In saying this, we recommend beginning your emissions reduction efforts with a focus on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which a business typically has more control over.