Who Owns Scope 3.1 Data in Your Company? (Hint: It’s Not Just Sustainability)

Scope 3 emissions—those indirect greenhouse gases across your value chain—often account for over 70% of a company’s total footprint. And within Scope 3, Category 1 (Purchased Goods & Services), or Scope 3.1, is typically the largest and most complex.

It requires supplier data, procurement records, emissions factors, and financial inputs. So… who’s responsible?

If your answer is “the sustainability team,” it’s time to reframe.

Scope 3.1 data cannot, and should not, be siloed within ESG. It touches procurement, finance, operations, IT, and even legal. Here’s why cross-functional ownership is the only path forward.

Why Scope 3.1 Can’t Sit Only with Sustainability

1. Data Complexity Lives Elsewhere

Sustainability teams might lead emissions accounting, but they don’t own key inputs like:

• Purchase order data (Procurement)
• Supplier master lists (Vendor Management / ERP)
• Material classification (Engineering / Ops)
• Financial flows and approvals (Finance)

Without access to and coordination with these systems, Scope 3.1 accounting will always be incomplete or inaccurate.

2. Emissions Are Shaped by Business Decisions

Every decision that other functions make impacts Scope 3.1 data quality and quantity:

Bottom Line: Sustainability may count emissions—but these teams create them.

3. Accountability Enables Action

Even the best carbon data is useless without the ability to act on it. Only cross-functional teams can:

• Engage suppliers with product-level emissions targets
• Update procurement policies to favor low-carbon options
• Integrate carbon into sourcing scorecards or RFPs
• Make trade-offs between cost, risk, and climate impact

If sustainability owns Scope 3.1 alone, it becomes a reporting exercise. Shared ownership turns it into a business lever.r supplier relocation attractive reduction levers.

Who Should Own What? A Shared Model

Ready to build your Scope 3 net zero strategy?
To make Scope 3.1 programs successful, define clear roles across teams:

How to Operationalise Cross-Functional Ownership

1. Build Shared KPIs

Integrate Scope 3.1 metrics into existing KPIs. For example:

• Procurement: % of spend from suppliers with PCFs
• Finance: % of purchases tied to emissions reporting
• Sustainability: Year-on-year Scope 3.1 reduction

Aligning metrics avoids finger-pointing and fosters shared accountability.

2. Train and Upskill Stakeholders

Non-ESG teams often feel unprepared to engage with carbon data. Offer:

• Short learning modules on Scope 3.1 basics
• Role-specific training (e.g., “Carbon Accounting for Procurement”)
• Office hours with ESG teams to answer data-related questions

3. Integrate Tools and Workflows

Make emissions data part of daily workflows, not a side task.

• Embed supplier emissions questions into onboarding forms
• Add emissions visibility to procurement dashboards
• Automate supplier reminders or data ingestion into ERP systems

The less manual the work, the more likely it gets done consistently.

4. Share Success Stories

Shine a light on teams that contribute meaningfully to Scope 3.1 efforts.

• Celebrate quick wins in internal newsletters
• Publish internal case studies (e.g., how switching a packaging supplier cut 12% of emissions in one category)
• Recognise champions at town halls or in performance reviews

Culture change begins with visibility.

Scope 3.1 is a Business Imperative, Not a Reporting Line

You can’t decarbonise what you don’t understand. And you can’t understand emissions from purchased goods and services without breaking down silos.

Scope 3.1 data is everyone’s business:

• Sustainability sets the methodology
• Procurement engages the supplier base
• Finance ensures alignment with disclosures
• Operations unlock emissions reductions
• IT enables scale and data integrity

The companies winning on climate today are those treating Scope 3.1 not as a compliance burden, but as a collaborative opportunity for innovation, risk management, and long-term value.

Conclusion

If Scope 3.1 still “sits with sustainability” in your organisation, your emissions data will always lag behind your ambitions.

Reframe the conversation: Scope 3.1 is a cross-functional business process—and ownership should reflect that. Align stakeholders, define shared KPIs, and build the infrastructure for real collaboration.

Because your climate strategy is only as strong as the people—and data—behind it.

If your Scope 3.1 strategy still sits in a silo, let’s talk about building a cross-functional roadmap that actually drives results.

FAQs

Can Scope 3.1 data be centralised even if ownership is distributed?

Yes. Centralising data management while distributing responsibility is a best practice. Think: a central ESG platform, but input from multiple teams.

How are these categories different from Scope 3.1 (Purchased Goods; Services)?

Scope 3.1 covers everyday materials and services a company buys (e.g., raw materials, IT services). By contrast, 3.2–3.4 highlight more specific areas: capital investments, upstream energy, and logistics. Together, they give a fuller picture of upstream emissions.

Why do these subcategories matter for net zero?

Link emissions to cost, risk, and performance. Show how Scope 3.1 efforts reduce risk exposure (e.g., carbon taxes, reputational issues) or unlock efficiencies.