Examples of Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions in the Food Industry

What Are Scopes 1, 2, and 3?

To ground us:

• Scope 1 = Direct emissions from sources you own or control (e.g. fuel burned on site).
• Scope 2 = Indirect emissions from purchased energy (electricity, heating, cooling).
• Scope 3 = All other upstream and downstream emissions in the value chain (e.g. supplier emissions, transportation, waste, use-phase)

In the food system at large, emissions are massive: food systems (agriculture + land use + supply chain) contribute to  approximately one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, if you’re in the food industry, understanding Scope 1–3 isn’t really optional.

If you prefer a simple visual overview, check out our Visual Guide to Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.

Scope 1 Emissions in Food and Hospitality

These are emissions you generate directly, under your control:

• On-site fuel combustion
Example: A restaurant’s gas stoves, ovens, or boilers producing emissions.

• Company-owned vehicles/fleets
Example: Caterers using trucks for transport of meals, or hotel shuttle vans.

• On-site refrigeration/HVAC leakage
Example: gas leakage from a company's refrigeration systems.

In many food operations, Scope 1 emissions tend to be modest compared to Scope 3—but they matter, especially in high-energy kitchens or with large vehicle fleets.

Scope 2 Emissions in Food and Hospitality

These are indirect emissions from energy you purchase:

• Electricity for lighting, cooking devices, cooling systems
E.g. powering ovens, refrigeration units, dishwashers, lighting in restaurants or hotels.

• Purchased district heating/cooling/steam
Some venues use district energy systems (steam, hot water) purchased by external providers.

Because you typically don’t control the generation, your role is to measure and manage.

Scope 3 Emissions in Food and Hospitality

This is where complexity, and potential, lies. Scope 3 covers upstream and downstream emissions across your entire value chain. Below are specific, food-industry–relevant examples:

Upstream Examples

1. Purchased goods & services
• Upstream emissions from ingredient production (e.g. feed, fertilizers, materials, and land-use change emissions)
• Upstream emissions of purchased packaging materials
• Upstream emissions of kitchen equipment and cleaning chemicals

2. Transportation & distribution of purchased materials
• E.g. shipping meat, dairy, or produce from farms to processors or central kitchens, storage of purchased products.

3. Waste along the supply chain
• E.g. food spoilage in transport, packaging waste, and disposal.

Downstream Examples

1. Transportation & delivery to customers/end users
• E.g. delivery vans, last-mile logistics of catering orders or meal kit delivery.

2. Use-phase emissions (if relevant)
• E.g. how the consumer cooks or stores the product (if appliances, packaging, or refrigeration consumption is in scope).

3. End-of-life disposal
• E.g. packaging recycling, landfilling food waste, composting, and associated emissions.

4. Franchises/leased operations
• If you operate franchised restaurants, their emissions may count in your Scope 3 depending on boundaries.

Concrete Illustrative Scenarios

Here are a few fictional-but-plausible examples to bring it to life:

These help show that while Scopes 1 & 2 are visible to you, Scope 3’s sources are often vastly larger and more diffuse.

Why Scope 3 Dominates in Food

• In many industries, Scope 3 can represent ~90 % of total emissions, depending on the value chain. 

• Food production, land conversion, and supply chains are emission-intensive, a large share of a food-related business’s carbon footprint lies upstream in agricultural inputs or downstream in use/waste.

• In food systems modeling, “food-miles” (transport) are substantial but not the biggest—the emissions embedded in production and land use often dominate. 

In other words, a food business that ignores Scope 3 is missing the lion’s share of both impact and opportunity.

What This Means for Food Businesses

• Map your supply chains: Identify top suppliers and the embedded emissions in raw ingredients.

• Focus on reduction efforts upstream (supplier switching, low-carbon ingredients) and downstream (logistics, packaging, waste).

• Use emissions data from suppliers & life-cycle assessments to allocate Scope 3.

• Build internal systems (procurement, tracking, reporting) that can capture emissions data.

At Klimato, we turn abstract scopes into actionable reporting from ingredient-level data to regulatory compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions about Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions

Q: What are Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions in simple terms?
A: Scope :1 Direct emissions from fuel you burn from equipment you own or operate (gas stoves or delivery vans). Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the energy you buy, mainly electricity. Scope 3: All other value chains—from the emissions of your suppliers’ farms to the waste your customers generate.

Q: Which scope is the largest in the food industry?
A: Scope 3 almost always dominates. Agriculture, land use, raw materials production, packaging, and waste account for the majority of emissions in food businesses, often upwards of 80–90% of the footprint.

Q: Why is Scope 3 so difficult to measure?
A: Because it sits outside your direct control. Scope 3 data depends on supplier data, logistics partners, and end-of-life processes you don’t own. It makes it complex, but also where the biggest opportunities for reduction and collaboration lie.

Q: Do food businesses need to report Scope 3 emissions under CSRD?
A: Yes. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires large and listed companies in the EU to disclose Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. This is why food businesses are under pressure to quantify and report Scope 3 as part of their sustainability strategies.

Q: How can a restaurant or caterer reduce Scope 3 emissions?
A: The most impactful levers are usually: Switching to lower-impact ingredients (e.g., more plant-based options), partnering with suppliers who provide emissions data and reduction strategies, cutting food waste (which reduces upstream emissions tied to wasted food), and optimizing packaging and logistics.

Q: How can Klimato help with Scope 1–3 reporting?
A: Klimato’s Scope 1, 2 ,3 emission calculation tool integrates with procurement and sales data to automatically calculate food-related emissions, especially Scope 3 at the ingredient level. The result: compliant, client-ready reports that make climate impact reduction actionable and transparent.