When it comes to understanding the full environmental impact of a company’s value chain, most organizations stop at upstream emissions or operational footprints. But for many product-based businesses, the largest share of emissions occurs long after the product leaves their hands—during its actual use by end customers. This is where Scope 3 Category 11 comes into play. As part of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, it requires companies to account for emissions produced from how their sold products are used by consumers or business customers.
This blog explores what Scope 3 Category 11 entails, how to measure these emissions accurately, and what companies can do to design better, lower-emission products.
Scope 3 Category 11 includes emissions from the use phase of final products sold by a reporting company. These emissions arise from:
According to the GHG Protocol, companies must report total expected lifetime emissions of all relevant products sold in a given reporting year.
For many industries—like automotive, electronics, energy, or appliances—the majority of total product emissions occur during the use phase.
Leading climate frameworks such as CDP, SBTi, and the GHG Protocol Product Standard require or strongly encourage companies to measure and disclose use-phase emissions.
Understanding emissions in use helps businesses design energy-efficient products, meet consumer demand for sustainability, and gain a competitive edge.
Measuring emissions from the use of sold products is one of the most complex aspects of Scope 3 reporting. Unlike upstream categories where companies have some control or visibility, Scope 3 Category 11 emissions occur in the hands of end users, across geographies, usage patterns, and energy sources. The following are the most common and impactful challenges:
Different users operate the same product in different ways:
Why it matters: Inconsistent behavior leads to wide variability in actual emissions, making it difficult to establish a standardized usage profile.
Calculating use-phase emissions requires assumptions about:
For example, if a gas stove is expected to last 10 years but is used intensively in commercial settings, the actual emissions may far exceed a typical residential use scenario.
Why it matters: Inaccurate lifetime assumptions can either overstate or understate true emissions, impacting both reporting and product improvement strategies.
Many products consume electricity or fuel, and the carbon intensity of that energy varies widely:
Why it matters: Failing to account for geographically specific emission factors leads to unreliable estimates, particularly for global product portfolios.
Most companies base use-phase emissions on lab-tested performance or assumed average usage, but real-world conditions often differ:
Why it matters: Without real-time product data or user feedback, calculations may be outdated or inaccurate.
For some products, like laundry detergents or food appliances, the product itself does not emit carbon, but its use indirectly triggers emissions:
Why it matters: These indirect impacts are difficult to isolate and model, especially when user preferences and external systems are involved.
Though companies may not directly control how products are used, they can influence, design for, and support behaviors and systems that reduce downstream emissions. Here are effective, actionable strategies:
This is the most direct and effective way to reduce emissions from product use.
Best practices:
Impact: Lower energy consumption per use directly reduces emissions and adds value for sustainability-conscious customers.
Where possible, redesign products to operate on electricity rather than fossil fuels.
Applications:
Impact: As global grids decarbonize, electric products offer lower emissions potential over time.
Smart and connected products can monitor their own energy use and share data with manufacturers and users.
Opportunities:
Impact: Better data improves both emissions reporting and user experience.
Most customers are unaware of how their usage patterns affect carbon impact.
Tools:
Impact: Informed users are more likely to adopt energy-efficient behaviors, reducing emissions across the lifecycle.
For products where usage emissions cannot be fully eliminated, offer carbon-neutral certification through:
Impact: Helps meet customer and investor expectations, especially in B2B and premium consumer segments.
Design your products to work more efficiently within their operating ecosystem.
Examples:
Impact: Product-system integration unlocks new levers for lifecycle emissions savings.
Scope 3 Category 11 shifts the lens from production to how your products perform in the real world. It’s where engineering meets sustainability—and where the opportunity lies to make a real difference.
Whether you’re an electronics company, appliance manufacturer, or a supplier of fuels and feedstocks, you can’t afford to ignore the emissions your products create during their life in use.
With tools like Sprih, and a deeper understanding of how your products impact the planet, you’re better equipped to take meaningful action.
Explore more on Sprih’s sustainability platform or speak with our team to integrate product-use emissions into your carbon strategy today.
