Carbon Footprint
Measuring an organisation's total greenhouse gas emissions.
A corporate carbon footprint is the total volume of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an organisation, expressed in tCO₂e and broken down into Scope 1, 2 and 3 per the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard.
The sum of Scope 1 (direct), Scope 2 (purchased energy) and Scope 3 (value chain) greenhouse gas emissions attributable to an organisation over a defined reporting period.
Key concepts
Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (fuel combustion, process emissions, refrigerants, company vehicles).
Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling. Reported dual location- and market-based.
All other value-chain emissions across 15 categories, upstream and downstream.
Operational vs. financial control — the choice of consolidation approach shapes what is inside the inventory.
Featured articles
Scope 1 emissions explained: what counts, how to measure, how to reduce
Scope 1 covers a company's direct greenhouse gas emissions — from fuel combustion, process emissions, fugitive gases and owned vehicles. A practical guide to measurement and reduction.
Scope 2 emissions explained: location-based, market-based and how to reduce them
Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat and steam. A guide to the GHG Protocol dual reporting method, PPAs, guarantees of origin and how to get to zero.
Scope 3 emissions explained: the 15 categories, how to measure, how to prioritise
Scope 3 is usually the largest part of a company's footprint. A practical guide to the 15 GHG Protocol categories, materiality screening, primary vs secondary data, and reduction strategy.
Glossary terms
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Scope 1, 2 and 3?+
Scope 1 is direct emissions from owned sources (fuel, refrigerants). Scope 2 is indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat and steam. Scope 3 covers all other value-chain emissions — from purchased goods to use of sold products.
Which methodology should we use?+
The GHG Protocol Corporate Standard is the global reference. Financial institutions add the PCAF Standard for financed emissions. ISO 14064 is broadly aligned with the GHG Protocol.
How often should we recalculate our footprint?+
At minimum annually, aligned to the financial reporting cycle. Best practice is quarterly monitoring for operational scopes and continuous data ingestion from ERP and utility systems.
Related regulations
- ESRS E1ESRS E1 Climate change
Mandates disclosure of Scope 1–3 GHG inventories under CSRD.
- IFRS S2ISSB IFRS S2
Global baseline for climate-related financial disclosures.
Industry-specific guidance
Process heat, purchased electricity and upstream materials dominate manufacturers' footprints — and the sustainable-finance opportunity is proportionally large.
Transport and logistics operators sit at the intersection of Scope 1 fuel use and their customers' Scope 3 category 4 emissions — making them a priority for both green loans and SLLs.
For food & beverage, upstream agriculture and land use dominate the footprint — putting the sector at the sharp end of SBTi FLAG guidance and the EU Deforestation Regulation.
Embodied carbon in materials, on-site fuel use and the in-use energy performance of buildings converge to make construction one of the largest single levers in the transition.
For retailers, purchased goods and the use-phase of sold products account for the vast majority of emissions — turning supplier engagement and product design into the primary levers.
Related platform capabilities
Comparisons
Scope 1 and 2 are the emissions a company controls directly or via purchased energy. Scope 3 is everything else in the value chain — typically 70–90% of the total.
A corporate carbon footprint quantifies the total GHG emissions of an organisation over a period. An LCA quantifies the environmental impacts of a specific product across its full life cycle.
See how the Redigo Carbon platform turns carbon footprint into an operating system.
This page follows Redigo Carbon's editorial standards: factual claims reference recognised frameworks; Redigo opinions are labelled as such.