HDR Team Contributes Insights on ‘Avoided Emissions’ for Environment Analyst

Several professionals across HDR have co-written a chapter for an Environment Analyst publication, “Corporate Guide: Net Zero and the Scope 3 Challenge.” Download Full Corporate Guide

The chapter is titled “Beyond the three scopes: all about ‘avoided emissions’” and was co-authored by Pam Yonkin, sustainability and resiliency director; Lisa Fewins, corporate sustainability director; Danlyn Brennan, water resources engineer-in-training; Ashley Jasso, greenhouse gas analyst; and Ron Ying, transportation air quality lead. Download Chapter

The authors point out that companies are increasingly grappling with the connection between greenhouse gases and doing business, and that the “heightened awareness of climate risk, increased regulatory requirements, and potential business benefits lead companies to develop an understanding of their GHG inventory and ability to influence emissions further than their footprint.”  

“As such, some companies are reporting beyond scope 1, 2 and/or 3 emissions. They are calculating and disclosing scope 4 emissions — emissions avoided through the use of a company’s products and services — to strengthen their position as environmental stewards,” they wrote.

GHG calculations are just one element of considering sustainability in business decisions. By reporting scope 4 emissions, commonly referred to as avoided emissions, “companies enhance accountability, build trust with stakeholders, and contribute to more informed decision-making processes.”

“Scope 1-3 emissions reflect a company’s GHG ‘footprint,’ which represents the emissions directly or indirectly tied to the value chain of a company’s products or services,” the article notes. “Avoided emissions can be thought of as the environmental ‘handprint’ of a company, focused on the beneficial impacts of products and services that play a contributing role in reducing overall GHG emissions outside of a company’s scope 1-3 inventory boundary.”