Category 3 Starter Kit: Fuel- and Energy-Related Activities

Use your Scope 1 and Scope 2 datasets to unlock Cat 3 without extra drama

Scope 3, Made PracticalCoreStarter Kit30 min

What you'll accomplish

  • Understand why Cat 3 exists and what it covers
  • Calculate Cat 3 using your existing Scope 1 and Scope 2 data
  • Apply standard emission factors without needing supplier data
  • Document your approach clearly

What Cat 3 is (plain English)

Category 3 covers the upstream emissions from producing the fuels and electricity you already report in Scope 1 and 2.

Think of it as: "What did it take to get the energy to my meter?" This includes extraction, refining, transmission losses, etc.

Quick start (30 minutes)

  • •Pull your Scope 1 fuel consumption (by fuel type)
  • •Pull your Scope 2 electricity consumption (by grid region)
  • •Apply WTT (well-to-tank) emission factors for fuels
  • •Apply T&D (transmission & distribution) loss factors for electricity
  • •Sum the results — that's your Cat 3

Common pitfalls

Double-counting with Scope 1/2

Fix: Cat 3 is additive — use WTT factors, not combustion factors

Forgetting T&D losses

Fix: Include transmission and distribution losses for electricity

Using wrong emission factors

Fix: Use upstream/WTT factors, not direct combustion factors

Change log

v1.0 (2026-01): Latest release