The biggest obstacle to measuring Scope 3 GHG emissions is the lack of available supplier data, with 70% companies citing it as one of the most significant challenges, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) survey of 1,200 professionals across 97 countries has found.
Most (53%) respondents also cited the lack of standardised methodologies and the complexity of calculating indirect emissions as key challenges. Furthermore, 39% identified lack of internal expertise and resources, 32% highlighted the cost of measurement tools and software and 26% cited privacy concerns around data sharing.
The MIT report reads: “While supplier data is the largest category for all regions, European companies report more challenges with methodology complexity and tool costs, while North American businesses highlight resource gaps and data-sharing concerns. Supplier data gaps and a lack of standardized methods remain major issues in both regions.”
“These results highlight that achieving credible Scope 3 measurement requires more than business-level commitment. A clear need for industry-wide collaboration on emissions accounting standardisation, better digital tools, and stronger supplier engagement to make Scope 3 accounting credible and scalable,” it continues.
The MIT survey also found regional differences in the approaches to measuring indirect emissions. Half of the North American respondents use either financial data (25%) or industry averages (25%), with only 17% using supplier data.
In contrast, over a quarter (27%) of European companies are using supplier data, with a further 18% using primary data collection, 18% using third-party databases, 19% using financial data and only 15% using industry averages.
Companies:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
