Simplifying Scope 3 Emissions Measurement for Local Authorities
This project delivered insight on Scope 3 tools and toolkits for local authority stakeholders.
Scope 3 emissions are the largest and most difficult category of emissions to measure and manage, with the LGA estimating that they make up 60-80% of local authority emissions in total.
As of Q4 2024, there is no central guidance for English local authorities on measuring Scope 3 emissions, and local authorities are presented with a large and sometimes confusing array of methods, tools and toolkits for Scope 3 emissions estimation and measurement.
We all have a toolkit fatigue, and we don’t know which one will be adopted by all Local Authorities.” Steven Wilding, Head of Net Zero Neighbourhoods and Green Economy, LB Hounslow
This project, delivered by the Net Zero What Works team, aimed to:
- Clarify Scope 3 tools and toolkits for local authorities;
- Build the capacity of local authority staff in assessing Scope 3 tools and toolkits;
- Improve the quality of tools and toolkits;
- And create demand for central government guidance.
The team undertook desktop research, interviews and focus groups during Q3 2023 to Q2 2024 with local authority support organisations and local authority staff in sustainability roles.
Resources
For local authorities
Choosing Scope 3 Tools and Toolkits: a Guide for Local Authorities
This resource gives a set of validation criteria which can be used to assess the quality and appropriateness of a tool or toolkit for measuring local authority Scope 3 emissions.
This guidance is for helping those in local authority sustainability roles to: choose the right tool/toolkit for measuring Scope 3 emissions, according to their needs; have confidence in the appropriateness of the tool/toolkit they are using; and understand the rationale behind validating a tool/toolkit which includes Scope 3 measurements.
This database analyses nine tools and toolkits according to the validation criteria featured in the “Choosing Scope 3 Tools and Toolkits” guide. The purpose of this database is to: enable local authorities staff to quickly gain an overview of nine common tools and toolkits which feature Scope 3 emissions measurement features; allow for comparison between the tools and toolkits; illustrate the validation criteria in use; and make it easier for users to choose the right tool or toolkit for their purposes.
For tools/toolkit developers
Insights Report – Local Authority Net Zero Tools and Toolkits Developers
This guidance, based on end user research, has been prepared for software, tool and toolkit developers who offer their products to local authorities. It aims to help developers of these tools/toolkits to: further understand their customers; develop more effective tools/toolkits; and communicate more effectively about tools/toolkits.
For policymakers
Policy Brief – Local Authorities Scope 3 Emissions Reporting
There is lack of consistent and comparable measurement and reporting for Scope 3 emissions among local authorities in the UK. This policy brief recommends that:
- Government should expand the scope of its work on “Public sector emissions monitoring and reporting guidance” 2025 to cover full organisational emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) e.g. not just those emissions relating to public sector buildings.
- As part of the “Public sector emissions monitoring and reporting guidance” work, the Government should develop a clear framework and relevant guidance for public sector organisations’ GHG emissions (Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3) measurement and reporting which is consistent across the UK and aligned to the existing framework in Scotland.
- Government should consider how they can align sustainability reporting with public procurement through further Procurement Policy Notes, emphasizing how Scope 3 emissions measurement and reporting can be captured through procurement.
