Scope 3 Emissions: definition
Indirect greenhouse gas emissions occurring across a company's value chain, including raw material production, manufacturing, product use, and end-of-life, which typically account for the vast majority of fashion's carbon footprint.
Scope 3 emissions are all indirect greenhouse gas emissions that occur in a company's value chain, both upstream (suppliers, raw materials, manufacturing) and downstream (product use, end of life, business travel). For fashion brands, Scope 3 typically accounts for 80–95% of total carbon emissions, dominated by raw material production (particularly cotton farming and synthetic fibre manufacturing), dyeing and finishing, and consumer washing and drying of garments. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires large brands to disclose Scope 3 emissions, making this a critical area of expertise for sustainability professionals in the industry.