What is Scope 1 emissions?

If someone asked you to list all the ways your organisation directly creates greenhouse gases, you might feel a bit stumped at first. But here's what we understand: most people intuitively know more about this than they realise.

Think about it this way - if your organisation stopped all activities tomorrow, what emissions would stop immediately? Those are your Scope 1 emissions. Scope 1 covers the direct emissions from sources your organisation owns or controls. When we say direct, we mean your organisation is literally doing the burning, the combustion is happening on your premises, or leaks are occurring from equipment under your control.

Manufacturing organisations typically see Scope 1 emissions from:

• • Fuel used in production processes
• • Fuel used in mobile plant and equipment including company vehicles
• • Leaks from onsite use/activities such as refrigeration systems

Service organisations usually have smaller Scope 1 footprints, mainly from:

• • Company vehicles
• • Office heating/air conditioning systems

What makes Scope 1 distinct is the immediate relationship between your organisation's activities and the emissions that result. There's no intermediary - when your equipment runs, when your vehicles move, when your heating operates, emissions happen as a direct consequence.

Scope 1 often feels like the most tangible part of an organisation's emissions story because you can see and touch the sources. Understanding this direct impact helps build the foundation for seeing how your organisation connects to the broader web of emissions through energy use and supply chains.