What is Scope 3 Category 6 Emissions?

Category 6 covers emissions from employee transportation during business activities using vehicles run by third parties, like airplanes, trains, buses, and cars. If a reporting company owns or controls the vehicles, emissions from fuel use are in Scope 1, and emissions from electric vehicles are in Scope 2. Emissions from leased vehicles that aren't in Scope 1 or Scope 2 are in Scope 3, Category 8 (Upstream leased assets). Emissions from employees commuting to and from work are in Scope 3, Category 7 (Employee commuting).

Emissions from business travel can come from:

1. Air travel

2. Rail travel

3. Bus travel

4. Car travel (e.g., business trips in rental cars or employee-owned vehicles, not including commuting)

5. Other travel methods

6. Companies can also choose to include emissions from employees staying in hotels during business travel.

Scope 3 emissions from business travel include the Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from transportation companies (e.g., airlines).

What data is Needed to Calculate the Emissions?

To calculate emissions from business travel, you'll need the following data:

1. Types of business travel: Identify the various modes of transportation used by employees for business-related activities, such as air travel, rail travel, bus travel, car travel (including rental cars and employee-owned vehicles), and other modes of travel.

2. Travel data: Collect detailed information on employee business trips, including distances traveled, number of trips, types of vehicles, and occupancy rates (where applicable).

3. Hotel stays (optional): If you choose to include emissions from employees staying in hotels during business travel, gather data on the number of hotel nights and the types of accommodations.

4. Emission factors: Obtain accurate emission factors for different modes of transportation and, if applicable, for hotel stays. These factors can be sourced from governmental or industry-specific guidelines or from organizations like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the World Resources Institute (WRI).

Once you have collected this data, you can calculate your company's emissions from business travel by applying the relevant emission factors to the travel data (distances, number of trips, etc.). Add up the emissions from each mode of transportation and, if applicable, from hotel stays, to determine the total emissions from business travel for Scope 3.

What Method is Available to Calculate the Emissions?

These methods are listed in order of how specific the calculation is to the individual business travel activity. However, companies need not always use the most specific method as a first preference.

1. Fuel-based method, which involves determining the amount of fuel consumed during business travel (i.e., scope 1 and scope 2 emissions of transport providers) and applying the appropriate emission factor for that fuel.

2. Distance-based method, which involves determining the distance and mode of business trips, then applying the appropriate emission factor for the mode used.

3. Spend-based method, which involves determining the amount of money spent on each mode of business travel transport and applying secondary (EEIO) emission.