In September 2022, Together for Sustainability (TfS) launched an important chapter of the first-of-its- kind guide for the chemical industry: the PCF Guideline. That chapter is a step-by-step guide to help chemical suppliers calculate PCFs in a harmonised way – and it is the new gold standard for doing so.

Now, TfS is completing the picture with the launch of the remaining chapters of the PCF Guideline – Chapters 1 through 4. In addition to providing helpful information on how to use the Guideline, these additional chapters show how any corporation using chemical materials can incorporate suppliers’ PCF calculations into corporate Scope 3 Category 1 (Purchased Goods & Services) reporting.

Currently, most corporations – inside and out of the chemicals industry – are using average information, often from databases, to estimate their scope 3.1 GHG emissions. To drive improvement, we need to enable them to incorporate supplier-specific information to quantify scope 3.1 emissions. On top of that, it’s important to be able to capture improvements that are delivered in the value chain – by specific suppliers, for example – to compare products, empower procurement staff and incentivise innovation.

Now in its complete form, the TfS GHG Guideline shows how to make product-level calculations, and crucially, how to then bring those up into the corporate scope 3.1 GHG inventory. The two types of calculations are strongly related, but gaps exist in current product and corporate standards. Sometimes it can be difficult to relate the two aspects – especially in some situations unique to the chemicals industry – but in this specific and detailed Guideline, TfS has developed methods that make the process as smooth as possible.

We’ve developed it as a ‘one-stop shop’ for scope 3.1 that can be dropped into existing systems. Of course, since it is open source, it can also be used beyond the industry by those with similar challenges. As well as setting the context, we’ve included a signposting in the new content that helps readers navigate the guidance, no matter their starting point. Then, Chapter 3 walks readers through relevant reporting principles, helping corporations prepare and use the calculations derived from their PCFs.

Chapter 4 is the major new addition. In it, TfS provides detailed and practical information on how corporations should use PCF data from their suppliers at the level of the corporate scope 3.1 inventory. TfS has done this with a specific lens on the chemical industry – for example, TfS addresses how to handle industry-specific scenarios that include toll manufacturing, swaps, joint ventures, recycled content, biogenics and offsets. TfS will handle some aspects through an additional white paper, suggesting new approaches for corporate reporting beyond existing standards.

One of the most important advancements with the release of the additional chapters is making PCF calculations more actionable. This also includes the first update to the initial release of Chapter 5. TfS builds on existing frameworks such as the GHG Protocol, bridging information gaps and reformulating guidance as needed to translate for the chemicals industry.