Scope 3.9 - Downstream Transportation & Distribution

Why Scopee 3.9 "Downstream Transportation & Distribution" matters

The journey of your product doesn’t end at your warehouse or when it leaves your site.

The logistics and storage that follow—how products are delivered to customers, stored in distribution centers, shipped to retailers, or even delivered to a consumer’s door—all create greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These are often beyond your direct control but are fully part of your product’s impact on the world and are accounted for in Scope 3.9.

Including Scope 3.9 emissions demonstrates your company’s commitment to responsibility, transparency, and collaboration throughout your value chain. By mapping and understanding these emissions, you can:

Engage with logistics partners and retailers on sustainability,
Influence decisions for low-carbon logistics and storage,
Show leadership with stakeholders who care about your true footprint.

Working together on this category is an exercise in integrity, quality, and compassion for the wider community and the planet, which is at the heart of Global Changer’s mission.

What’s Included in Scope 3.9?

Emissions from the transportation and distribution of your sold products (goods, not services) after they leave your direct control—but before their end use.
Storage of sold products in warehouses, distribution centers, or retail locations not owned or controlled by you.
All transport modes: air, rail, road, marine—handled by third-party contractors/logistics, not your vehicles or facilities.
Retail activities: Storage, refrigeration (e.g., in supermarkets), and showrooming in outlets you don’t own or control.
Optional for mature reporters: Emissions from the manufacturing and maintenance of the logistics infrastructure and vehicles.

Exclusions:

If you pay for outbound logistics, they might fall under Scope 3.4 (Upstream), not 3.9. Only include activities for which you do not own/control assets or directly pay for logistics service.

What Data Should You Collect?

The quality of your Scope 3.9 inventory grows with your data journey. Think of this as a progression—over time, you can reach deeper and collaborate better.

1. Primary Data (Best - Collaborative, Accurate)

Actual energy and fuel use for downstream logistics & warehousing, allocated to your products by your downstream partners (distributors, retailers, 3PLs).
Distance, route, shipment size for each delivery leg, reported by third-party logistics providers.
Warehouse/distribution center energy use specific to your products (if sub-metered or separately tracked).

2. Allocated Data (Good - Partnership-Based)

Total emissions/fuel use of a shared warehouse, allocated by share of volume, pallet space, or occupancy time.
Shipment data (your product’s mass or volume as a share of a truck/container) × total trip emissions.

3. Secondary/Average Data (Entry Level, To Be Improved Over Time)

Modeled ton-kilometers based on known shipping lanes, modes (air/sea/truck/train), and standard emission factors.
Sector/national/regional averages for warehousing/storage by product type and country.
Spend-based estimates (last resort): the portion of your logistics spend × average emission factor per €/$.

Data Collection Steps: A Collaborative Approach

A. Map Product Flows

Understand the typical “routes to market” for your major products.
Identify main distribution partners and typical transport/storage paths.
Document all transport modes and storage facilities after the product leaves your control and before it is in the end-user’s hands.

B. Prioritize the Biggest Impact

Use the 80/20 rule: focus on main products, key retailers, or major markets—these often drive 80%+ of your emissions.
For low-volume flows, you can use averages or proxies.

C. Allocate Emissions Fairly & Transparently

For mixed/truck loads: prorate by weight, volume, or shipping charge.
For shared warehouses: prorate by occupied volume × time, or by throughput.

D. Improve Data Quality Each Year

Start with modeled or spend-based data if you must, but each year:
- Build relationships with key distribution partners and retailers,
- Ask for more granular energy/transport data,
- Set improvement targets in emission data quality.

Pitfalls & Things To Watch Out For

Boundary errors: Only include legs/warehouses you don’t pay for nor control—avoid double-counting with upstream (3.4).
Allocation errors: If multiple companies use the same transporter or warehouse, use a robust allocation method—document your approach.
Data transparency: Always record and disclose assumptions, conversion factors, and any data gaps.
Changing logistics: Distribution networks can change year-to-year; make sure your data and mapping reflect the reporting year.

Example of Data Points

Activity	Data Needed	Preferred Source	Example Allocation
Marine shipping to retailer	Distance, container type, actual fuel per leg	Freight forwarder or 3PL	weight-share
Third-party warehousing	Annual kWh, diesel use, product occupancy	Warehouse operator	m³, pallet × days
Road Distribution (to retail)	Route km, mode, product mass per trip	Carrier, invoice split	% truckload by mass

Checklist for Scope 3.9

Map main downstream logistics and warehousing for each product.
Engage top partners to provide or help improve energy/use/emission data.
Collect or estimate key metrics: ton-km, container-km, kWh for warehouse/storage time—all allocated to your product share.
Clearly state boundaries, exclusions, and allocation methods.
Plan improvement: set goals for better data, deeper partner collaboration, or greener logistics year-on-year.