Why Scope 3 Emissions is a Procurement Concern

For many years, shipping’s decarbonization conversation has revolved around fuel adoption. Traditional bunker fuel remains the largest contributor to shipping’s carbon footprint. From LNG to methanol and ammonia, significant resources and investments have been directed at reducing emissions at the point of propulsion, or Scope 1. However, as fleets begin adopting alternative fuels, deploying energy-saving technology, and streamlining operating procedures, procurement-related emissions are becoming increasingly important and harder to ignore.

These emissions, classified as Scope 3, include the indirect emissions generated by the goods and services purchased such as spare parts, consumables, maintenance activities, and logistics support. Each purchase carries an embedded carbon cost that, until recently, has been overlooked by maritime’s decision makers.

Greener fuels and efficiency measures have reduced operational emissions over a vessel’s lifecycle, but this also means that the share of emissions from procurement has grown. As such, Scope 3 emissions are going to become more vital as supply chains continue to adapt.

Procurement Emissions – A Blind Spot

Historically, procurement emissions data – or Scope 3 emissions – has been limited and difficult to access. Calculating these emissions had often required consultants, manual spreadsheets, and time-consuming data collection, placing them outside the scope of day-to-day procurement activities. As a result, purchasing decisions have been typically driven by operational needs, reliability, and cost, with sustainability considerations playing a secondary role.

As reporting expectations tighten under EU initiatives such as ‘Fit for 55’ and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), shipping companies are facing growing pressure to obtain fast, transparent, and reliable Scope 3 data. Beyond compliance, greater visibility into Scope 3 emissions allow companies to better control costs, optimise purchasing strategies, and support the transition to greener fleets.

This combination of regulatory pressure and commercial need has revealed the blind spot in how the industry has approached Scope 3 emissions.

Data by maritime climate specialist ReFlow indicates that as alternative fuels and energy-saving devices reduce operational emissions, Scope 3 emissions will account for a larger share of the total footprint. As supply chains evolve, the need for accurate and accessible data is becoming critical.

It is for that reason why ship owners, managers and their internal stakeholders need to be prepared and develop a clearer understanding of their own Scope 3 emissions data throughout their procurement and supply chain in the years ahead.

Integrating Emissions Data into Procurement Workflows

Making data available at the point of procurement decisions is critical in effectively managing Scope 3 emissions.

When emissions calculations are incorporated into procurement workflows, shipping companies gain visibility into the carbon impact of the products and services they purchase. In this way, emissions data becomes an integral part of operations instead of a reporting exercise, contributing to purchasing decisions instead of being standalone sustainability reports.

To support this shift, Procureship, the world’s leading e-procurement platform used by more than 100 shipowners in Europe, has partnered with ReFlow to provide a solution .

Together, they have developed the ‘EmissionPassport’, a climate calculation engine integrated directly into Procureship’s procurement platform. The EmissionPassport draws on data from over 10,000 parts and service suppliers, enabling shipowners and managers to access the carbon footprint fixed to every product and service they acquire.

By embedding emissions visibility into existing procurement processes, Procureship is enabling shipping companies to assess suppliers more effectively and factor emissions into their purchasing decisions.

Scope 3 Reporting

While regulatory reporting requirements have increased interest in Scope 3 emissions, many shipping companies are now looking beyond compliance towards broader net-zero objectives. Achieving these goals requires reducing emissions across the entire value chain, not only through cleaner but also integrating decarbonisation approaches into procurement and supply chain decisions.

With greater clarity into procurement-related emissions, companies can make more informed decisions, whether that involves engaging more climate-conscious suppliers, selecting alternative products, or reassessing purchasing patterns that have a higher carbon impact.

Providing access to this data through Procureship’s platform enables shipping companies to track the effectiveness of their procurement-led decarbonisation strategies over time. Month-by-month and vessel-by-vessel insights allow them to assess what worked, identify areas for improvement, and adjust their approach accordingly.

Most importantly, this approach is about empowering companies to make better decisions through clearer emissions visibility and understanding effective and real-world actions that support their long-term decabornisation goals.