For businesses striving to meet ambitious sustainability targets, Scope 3 emissions remain one of the most elusive challenges.
These indirect emissions, spanning an organisation’s entire value chain, often account for the majority of corporate greenhouse gas footprints. Yet they are notoriously difficult to measure, monitor, and verify, leaving critical blind spots in both environmental reporting and decarbonisation strategies.
Emerging technologies—satellites, AI, and blockchain—are helping to address these challenges head-on. By providing unprecedented visibility and accountability, these tools empower businesses to close data gaps, enhance emissions reporting, and take meaningful action across their supply chains.
Satellites: transforming environmental monitoring
Satellite technology has revolutionised the ability to monitor emissions and environmental changes in real time. Equipped with advanced remote sensing capabilities, satellites offer a continuous, bird’s-eye view of supply chain activities, from tracking land use changes to identifying methane emissions.
Recent innovations in satellite precision have been particularly transformative for methane monitoring. Advanced sensors can now detect methane emission rates as low as 100 kilograms per hour—a significant improvement over older thresholds. This enables businesses to pinpoint emissions sources, whether from livestock operations, manure management systems, or industrial leaks. Methane, a greenhouse gas with a warming potential over 80 times that of CO₂ over a 20 year lifespan and, is responsible for 25% of global warming.
By integrating satellite-derived insights into sustainability strategies, businesses can move beyond periodic and retrospective audits to dynamic, proactive risk management. This shift not only supports regulatory compliance but also allows for faster, more impactful interventions.
AI and data fabrics: Unlocking actionable insights
While satellites provide unparalleled data streams, it’s AI that turns this raw data into actionable insights. Scalable machine learning models can analyse vast datasets to uncover trends, anomalies, and risks that are otherwise invisible.
The role of a flexible data fabric is vital here. Acting as the connective tissue between diverse data sources—such as satellite imagery, environmental metrics, and supply chain records—data fabrics enable businesses to create a comprehensive view of their operations. For example, models are built to integrate methane emissions data with land use maps to evaluate the impacts of agricultural practices and inform targeted mitigation strategies.
This granular, data-driven approach allows businesses to refine their Scope 3 emissions reporting. Instead of relying on generalised emissions factors, they can develop tailored insights based on real-world activities, improving both accuracy and accountability.
Blockchain: Building trust and accountability
Transparency and trust are essential for effective emissions reporting, and blockchain technology offers a powerful solution. By creating an immutable ledger, blockchain provides a single source of truth, ensuring that every piece of reported data is traceable and verifiable.
For instance, blockchain can be used to link methane reduction milestones—such as transitioning to innovative waste management systems—to specific, time-stamped actions verified by satellite monitoring. This milestone-based approach replaces speculative reporting with tangible evidence, giving stakeholders confidence that reported progress reflects real outcomes.
In addition to improving accountability, blockchain streamlines compliance with tightening regulations. It provides a clear, auditable trail of data that aligns with standards such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and broader ESG reporting frameworks.
Rethinking Scope 3 Emissions Reporting
The combination of satellites, AI, and blockchain addresses key barriers in Scope 3 emissions reporting:
- Improved Accuracy: Real-time, data-driven insights reduce reliance on static, outdated estimates.
- Enhanced Compliance: These tools simplify adherence to complex regulatory requirements, providing verifiable proof of sustainability claims.
- Proactive Mitigation: Early detection of risks like methane leaks or deforestation enables businesses to act quickly and effectively.
- Scalable Solutions: Advances in technology have made these tools more accessible and affordable, democratising the ability to monitor and report emissions.
A clearer path forward
Addressing Scope 3 emissions requires moving beyond incremental improvements to transformative solutions. Satellites, AI, and blockchain provide the clarity and precision necessary to tackle these challenges head-on, equipping businesses with the tools to act confidently in an increasingly complex landscape.
As these technologies become more advanced and accessible, they are reshaping the way businesses think about sustainability. By embracing this evolution, organisations can not only meet regulatory and market demands but also contribute to the systemic changes needed to combat climate change.
The path forward isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. And with the right tools, businesses can make informed decisions that drive meaningful impact—both for their operations and the world at large.
About the Author
Dr Gabrielle Bourret-Sicotte is Chief Evangelist at Treefera. We believe data can transform the way the world values real world assets, accelerating a path to decarbonisation. From a single platform, Treefera reconciles rafts of data, enabling our users to accurately discover, monitor, evaluate and forecast the real world assets at the core of global supply chains – for the benefit of business and the planet.
