Scope 1, 2, and 3 for small suppliers

In plain terms: Scope 1 covers fuel your business burns directly (vehicles, heating, machinery), Scope 2 covers the electricity you buy, and Scope 3 covers emissions in your wider chain (purchased goods, freight, travel, and similar). For most small suppliers the practical starting inputs are energy bills, fuel receipts or mileage records, and basic site information — these usually support a first answer on Scopes 1 and 2 without new measurement systems.

Most small-supplier emissions figures are estimates, and buyers know this. State the basis — which months, which sites, which conversion factors — and mark anything extrapolated or partial as such. Presenting an estimated figure as assured or complete is the single most damaging mistake in a carbon answer, because it converts a data gap into a credibility problem.

Buyers usually ask emissions questions in a specific shape: a number for a period, a yes/no on whether you measure, or a description of your approach. Answer the question as asked before adding context, then note limitations briefly. Scope 3 in particular is hard for small businesses — saying you do not yet measure it, and what you would need in order to start, is a respectable answer.