Use of Sold Products (Scope 3 Category 11)
Category 11 of Scope 3 covers the emissions from the end use of goods and services sold by the reporting company over their expected lifetime.
What is Use of Sold Products (Scope 3 Category 11)?
Category 11 captures the direct emissions generated when customers use a company’s products. This is one of the most significant categories for energy-consuming products such as vehicles, appliances, electronics, and heating equipment. For a car manufacturer, Category 11 represents the tailpipe emissions over the vehicle’s expected lifetime — often dwarfing manufacturing emissions by a factor of 10 or more.
The GHG Protocol distinguishes between direct use-phase emissions (from products that directly consume energy or produce emissions) and indirect use-phase emissions (from products that indirectly consume energy, such as clothing requiring washing). Most organisations focus on direct emissions.
This category requires assumptions about product lifetime, usage patterns, and energy source. Industry norms, regulatory test data, and product specifications typically inform these estimates. For service companies or those selling products that don’t consume energy, Category 11 may not be material.
Practical Examples
An automotive manufacturer calculates lifetime tailpipe emissions for each vehicle model sold, based on average annual mileage, expected vehicle life, and fuel efficiency ratings.
A boiler manufacturer reports the natural gas combustion emissions from all boilers sold in the reporting year, assuming a 15-year useful life and average UK heating demand.
A consumer electronics company estimates the electricity consumption of its laptops over a 5-year assumed lifetime using typical usage profiles and UK grid emission factors.
How Climatise Helps
Climatise models Category 11 emissions using product specifications, expected lifetimes, and usage assumptions, helping product companies understand and report the full lifecycle impact of their goods.
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