Award of DECC-Research of Scope 3 Emissions by Local Authorities and Other Scottish Public Bodies

The Scottish Government’s Domestic Climate Change Division has awarded a contract to carry out research into scope 3 ‘Group 3’ emissions.Measuring and monitoring emissions is a vital step as public bodies work to reduce their climate impact. ‘Group 3’ emissions are thought to be unlikely to be relevant to many public bodies: research is required to verify this, and to establish value for money in reporting on these emissions, where applicable. These are significantly more complex areas of emissions to estimate, and the project also needs to consider available methodologies, taking into account the varied nature of the Scottish public sector, data availability and quality, and materiality. If bodies are to report on these wider scope 3 emissions, where relevant, it is important that such a move is proportionate and will result in tangible benefits (i.e. that the reporting can drive material reductions in these categories of emissions).A recent Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) investigation (IESS.21.012) looked at the effectiveness of the systems in place to support local authorities (LAs) in their duty to contribute to the delivery of climate change targets . The investigation concluded with five recommendations. One of these – the mandating of reporting of scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions from the wider value chain) by LAs – became the subject of an Improvement Notice. Scottish Government laid an Improvement Plan before the Scottish Parliament in response; and in October 2024, the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee recommended that the plan be approved.The research will provide an evidence base and inform Scottish Government’s approach to the drafting of an Amendment Order (starting spring 2026) to strengthen and expand the existing statutory climate change reporting duty.Measuring and monitoring emissions is a vital step as public bodies work to reduce their climate impact. Scope 3 emissions are likely to form the majority of a body’s overall GHG footprint. While bodies do not have direct control over these emissions, they can use their influence over their supply chain to work to reduce these. Using their influence in this way will help bodies demonstrate compliance with their statutory climate change duties and contribute to national emissions reduction, carbon budgets and the net zero target.