Activity data·Sector & specialist

How to measure emissions from Supplier gas

Supplier gas covers gas consumption in a supplier's own operations that's embedded in a purchased good or service, reported under Scope 3 Category 1 using country-specific natural gas factors (UK, US, France, Germany, Spain, Canada and more). Collect this through supplier-reported consumption data converted to a platform unit where possible, matching the country factor to where the supplier actually operates rather than a generic average.

Scope
Scope 3 Category 1
What activity data you need
Btu, m3, tonne, kWh, scf, $ Spend, £ Spend
Activity data
Sector & specialist
01

What counts as Supplier gas

Gas activity data collected from suppliers as an input to purchased goods and services, using country-specific natural gas factors that reflect where the supplier's operations are based. Applied when gas consumption is embedded in something purchased rather than combusted directly by the reporting organisation.

Distinct from the organisation's own 'Gas' page (Scope 1, own combustion): this is Category 1, upstream in a supplier's operations. As with supplier electricity, match the country-specific subtype to the supplier's actual location rather than a generic average, since gas carbon intensity varies less by country than electricity but factor availability still differs by market.

How to collect the data

Use supplier-reported gas consumption - in the supplier's native unit (Btu, m3, therms) - converted to a platform unit, gathered through supplier engagement or sustainability questionnaires. Spend-based estimation is the fallback where suppliers don't disclose physical gas data.

02

What activity data you need

Collect the most specific physical unit available. Unit definitions are in Appendix I — Description of Units.

  • Btu
  • m3
  • tonne
  • kWh
  • scf
  • $ Spend
  • £ Spend
03

Which emission scope it falls under

Supplier gas activity data typically maps to Scope 3 Category 1 under the GHG Protocol. Confirm organisational boundary and ownership before reporting.

Scope 3 Category 1

By emission scope

04

Sub-types available in the platform

All 8 sub-types available in the platform.

  • Natural gas
  • Natural gas: Average
  • Natural gas: CA
  • Natural gas: DE
  • Natural gas: FR
  • Natural gas: SP
  • Natural gas: UK
  • Natural gas: US
05

Common questions

How is this different from our own Scope 1 gas combustion?
Scope 1 gas is fuel your organisation burns directly, on the 'Gas' page. This page is Category 1 - gas burned by a supplier as part of producing something you buy from them.
Which country factor should we use for an overseas supplier?
Use the country subtype that matches where the supplier's production actually takes place - the platform currently covers UK, US, France, Germany, Spain and Canada as distinct natural gas factors, plus an average option.
What if a supplier reports gas in therms rather than m3 or kWh?
Convert to the nearest platform unit before entering it, or ask the supplier to provide the figure in Btu, m3 or kWh directly if their reporting system supports it.
How reliable is a spend-based estimate for supplier gas?
It's a reasonable fallback but less precise than a physical quantity, since spend-to-emissions conversion relies on a sector-average intensity rather than the supplier's actual consumption.
Should we ask suppliers directly for their gas consumption data?
Yes, particularly for material suppliers - a sustainability or supply-chain questionnaire requesting Scope 1 gas figures usually gives a far more accurate result than a spend-based estimate.

Next step

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