Besides electricity consumption, the indirect emissions of supply chains are the fastest-rising area of emissions worldwide, according to researchers in the US and Norway.
In the two decades to 2015, such indirect emissions rose by over 80% – nearly double the rise of direct emissions. The non-electrical indirect emissions of the industry sector alone now stand at 32 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, the study shows.
Edgar Hertwich at Yale University, US, believes his and colleagues’ study exposes “the potential agency different sectors have over supply chain emissions”. The message is to “look at your purchases in addition to your direct energy consumption, to identify opportunities for emission reductions”.
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