Not all emissions are created equal, at least not in terms of how they are counted, reported, or addressed. In corporate sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions are categorized into Scope 1, 2, and 3. The structure is straightforward, but the implications are complex.
This framework, developed through the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, is now the global standard. Understanding what each scope covers and how it differs can help businesses make more informed decisions about where to act, what to measure, and with whom to collaborate.
Scope 1: What you emit directly
These emissions originate from sources owned or controlled by a company. Fuel is burned in trucks, company cars, or manufacturing equipment, as well as heating oil or gas in your buildings. Scope 1 is the simplest category. You cause it, and you report it. In most cases, you have significant control over it.
Scope 2: What it takes to power you
Scope 2 includes emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heating, or cooling. You may not generate these emissions, but you depend on them. Switching to renewable electricity, investing in energy efficiency, or selecting greener suppliers can all help reduce Scope 2 emissions. It’s the “indirect-direct” part of your footprint: essential but manageable.
Scope 3: What happens beyond your walls
Then comes Scope 3, the largest, most complex, and most challenging category. It includes all other indirect emissions—upstream and downstream—from your value chain.
This means emissions from:
– Raw materials and components you purchase
– Transportation and distribution
– Product use and disposal
– Business travel, employee commuting, and more
Scope 3 is where most companies find the bulk of their total footprint, and it’s also where they have the least direct control. That’s why suppliers matter so much. The further you look beyond your operations, the clearer it becomes: your emissions are entangled with someone else’s decisions—and vice versa.
From awareness to action
For years, many companies primarily focused on Scope 1 and 2, which are easier to measure and influence. However, expectations are changing. Investors, regulators, and customers now demand transparency across all aspects and genuine progress on the overall picture.
Collaboration is essential to reducing Scope 3 emissions. You need data from suppliers, partnerships with innovators, and materials and components that lower the impact across a product’s life cycle.
What Diab does and how it helps your Scope 3
At Diab, we design and manufacture high-performance core materials for various sectors, including wind energy, transportation, marine, and aerospace. We also track and report our emissions across all three scopes.
Over 80% of Diab’s emissions fall under Scope 3, primarily related to sourcing raw materials. This means that our efforts to reduce our impact also lessen the footprint of our customers.
By switching to renewable energy at our production sites, improving material efficiency, and investing in fossil-free core solutions, we’re reducing emissions associated with every cubic meter of foam we deliver. Since 2016, we’ve cut our carbon intensity by nearly 50%.
Advanced kits with fossil-free PVC
Another critical aspect of reducing the carbon footprint is minimizing the use of resin. It makes the application lighter while lowering its Global Warming Potential (GWP). Diab’s innovative Advanced kits offer optimized fit in the mould, reduced resin consumption, and improved cosmetics for infusion and prepreg applications. Advanced kits provide substantial reductions in resin uptake, up to 30%, compared to standard kits, resulting in a reduced carbon footprint. We also use fossil-free PVC in Advanced kits, which means that the sourced raw material is bio-based and certified by ISCC.
Transparency is key
But it’s not just about manufacturing. The materials themselves make a difference. Diab’s lightweight sandwich cores reduce energy consumption during the product's use phase, whether it’s an electric bus, a rotor blade, or a high-speed ferry. They also resist rot, corrosion, and mechanical fatigue, which extends the product's lifetime and reduces the need for repairs or replacements.
And perhaps most importantly, we provide transparent data. Our Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and lifecycle assessments equip our customers with the tools to understand and report the actual impact of their material choices, which is essential for companies aiming to map and manage their Scope 3 emissions.
Scope 3 may be the hardest. But it’s also where progress matters most.
As pressure increases to account for every tonne of CO₂, from cradle to grave, Scope 3 is where companies can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. It’s where climate ambition translates into business transformation.
And for that to happen, you need suppliers who understand the challenge—and are doing their part.
