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Scope 2 Data Needs – Indirect Emissions from Purchased Energy

Gather data on purchased energy like electricity and heating, which make up your Scope 2 emissions.

Lydia Straszim avatar
Written by Lydia Straszim
Updated over 9 months ago

Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from the generation of the energy your business buys, such as electricity and heating. These emissions occur off-site, but they’re still tied to your usage. Tracking these emissions helps you understand the impact of your energy consumption.

Why These Data Types Are Included
Scope 2 emissions are those from the generation of purchased energy as they still contribute to your carbon footprint, even though they’re produced off-site. Including electricity, heat, steam and cooling is important to capture your energy use comprehensively.

Practical Guidance

  • Electricity: record your electricity use in kilowatt-hours (kWh) from all locations where you operate, such as offices or production sites. Contact your electricity providers to obtain verified certificates stating the emissions factors of the electricity supplied to you.

  • Heating/Steam/Cooling: record energy use for any purchased heating or cooling services, such as HVAC systems. Separate data by location if possible, as this provides a detailed picture of energy consumption across your sites.

Data Collection Table

Type

Examples

Data to Collect

Data Source

Purchased Electricity

Electricity from the grid

  • Electricity consumption (kWh)

  • Location of consumption (to determine grid emissions factor)

  • Utility bills

  • Electricity meter readings

Renewable Energy Purchases

Renewable electricity credits

  • Amount of renewable energy purchased

  • Certificates for renewable energy (e.g. RECs)

  • Renewable energy certificates (RECs)

  • Supplier guarantees

Purchased Heat/Steam/Cooling

District heating, steam, cooling

  • Quantity of energy purchased (GJ, kWh)

  • Type of heating or cooling source

  • Supplier-specific emission factors

  • Supplier invoices

  • Contracts with energy providers

Example: Fresh Bites Deli
Fresh Bites Deli collects their electricity data from monthly bills. They record total kWh used across all locations. For heating, they use a green energy provider and upload the verified certificate to the My Emissions platform providing the specific emissions factor. This process ensures that Fresh Bites accurately captures all Scope 2 emissions.

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