Bring your Scope 3 emissions into view
Purchases, travel, freight and other value-chain activities can sit across many teams and data sources. Sustrax helps you turn those records into a clearer Scope 3 footprint using activity and spend-based calculations.
One footprint. Three scopes.
Explore the sources behind your business footprint.
01Direct emissionsScope 1
Emissions from sources your organisation owns or controls, such as fuel burned in a company vehicle or on-site boiler.
Explore emissions inputs →02Purchased energyScope 2
Emissions from purchased electricity, heat and steam. Sustrax provides location-based and market-based electricity reporting.
Explore electricity reporting →03Your value chainScope 3
Other indirect emissions, including purchasing, business travel and freight. Use activity or spend data depending on the source and available information.
Explore Scope 3 methods →What is Scope 3 carbon accounting?
Scope 3 covers indirect greenhouse gas emissions in your organisation’s value chain outside purchased energy. It includes upstream and downstream activities, from purchased goods and services to business travel and the use of sold products. Your inventory should reflect the categories relevant to your business.
Choose a method that fits your available data
Activity-based calculations
Use quantities such as passenger journeys, freight movements, material weights or equipment purchases. Sustrax has dedicated input workflows for flights, public transport, hotel stays, commuting, homeworking, freight, waste, water and selected purchased goods. Advanced inputs include materials, ingredients, paper and computing equipment, depending on the package.
Spend-based calculations
Where suitable activity data is unavailable, estimate purchasing emissions from expenditure. The Sustrax spend workflow supports SIC categories with UK Defra or ONS factors and NAICS categories for US purchasing. Currency conversion lets teams enter expenditure in the invoiced currency.
Spend estimates provide a starting point. More specific activity or supplier data can improve the assessment where available. Avoid counting the same purchase again if its emissions are already included in another input category.
Which plan covers which inputs?
- Lite Free and Lite X: selected inputs including flights, public transport and homeworking, within plan limits.
- Lite XL: adds freight, water, waste and commuting inputs, with limits on record counts.
- AX and MX: broader Scope 3 capabilities, bulk uploads and unlimited entries for the categories included in your agreed package.
A plan supporting Scope 3 does not mean every category is included automatically. Confirm the categories you need, including any custom emissions or supplier-data requirements, before choosing a package. View the detailed comparison.
A practical purchasing workflow
- Identify purchases within the reporting period and separate items already covered by energy, travel or other records.
- Choose the relevant activity input or spending category. For computing, for example, select the equipment type, manufacturer and model, then enter units purchased.
- Enter records individually or use the category’s upload template on AX or MX.
- Review the calculations and GHG categories; retain the source evidence where your package supports attachments.
- Analyse results to identify hotspots and decide where better supplier information would be most useful.
Turn the result into a useful conversation
Compare emissions by category or site, use data tags to explore a purchasing group, and export results for review. MX adds monthly tracking so you can investigate changes throughout the year.
For help defining boundaries or engaging suppliers, explore Carbon Footprint Ltd’s supply chain footprinting services. The software and expert support can be scoped together around your organisation.