{"id":29213,"date":"2025-11-19T07:04:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T12:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quantumlifecycle.com\/?p=29213"},"modified":"2025-12-05T19:14:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T00:14:04","slug":"carbon-accounting-for-it-refresh-measuring-scope-3-from-device-turnover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quantumlifecycle.com\/en_CA\/blog\/carbon-accounting-for-it-refresh-measuring-scope-3-from-device-turnover\/","title":{"rendered":"Carbon Accounting for IT Refresh: Measuring Scope 3 from Device Turnover"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to measuring your organization\u2019s environmental impact, carbon accounting is among the most effective tools available. As the process of measuring, tracking, and reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, carbon accounting plays a key role in IT asset management by providing the information to measure and report IT-related GHG emissions. This data can then be used to drive decisions on procurement, lifecycle management, and other business activities. For example, IT refresh cycles such as upgrading laptops, desktops, and servers can significantly influence an organization\u2019s carbon footprint.<\/p>\n

Scope 3 emissions are also an important factor in carbon accounting, but as the category that includes supply chain and end-of-life impacts, they often go overlooked. In this blog, we\u2019ll explore how to measure and mitigate Scope 3 emissions tied to device turnover.<\/p>\n

Scope 3 emissions in an IT context<\/h2>\n

When measuring emissions, there are three main scopes to consider.<\/p>\n

Scope 1<\/h3>\n

This category refers to direct GHG emissions from sources an organization controls or owns, such as vehicles, boilers, and other equipment. Examples include fuel burned from company-owned vehicles, emissions from onsite turbines or boilers, and process emissions from onsite manufacturing.<\/p>\n

Scope 2<\/h3>\n

This scope includes indirect GHG emissions from electricity, steam, heat, or cooling that an organization purchases and consumes. In other words, these emissions aren\u2019t from the organization\u2019s own equipment, but from the energy of its utility provider. Examples include the energy that powers lights, air conditioning, computers, and other appliances or devices.<\/p>\n

Scope 3<\/h3>\n

Scope 3 emissions come from goods and services that have been purchased, as well as business travel, employee commuting, and waste disposal. These emissions can make up 75%<\/a> of an organization\u2019s overall carbon footprint.<\/p>\n

While each category is worth measuring to gain detailed insights into your environmental impact, Scope 3 specifically is relevant to IT because it includes purchased goods and services embodied carbon in new devices, waste generated via e-waste disposal<\/a>, and the end-of-life treatment of sold products.<\/p>\n

Measuring the carbon impact of device turnover<\/h2>\n

To understand your organization\u2019s Scope 3 GHG emissions related to device turnover, you\u2019ll need to collect several key data points, including:<\/p>\n