What Are Scope 3 Emissions?

When it comes to your carbon footprint, it’s not just what happens inside your business that counts. Your team’s commute, your suppliers, even business travel are all part of your wider environmental impact. That’s where Scope 3 emissions come in. And yes, your fleet can play a surprisingly powerful role in bringing those emissions down. Let’s explore what Scope 3 really means, and how choosing electric company cars, especially via salary sacrifice, can offer a simple, measurable route to cleaner operations.

What are Scope 1, 2 and 3 Emissions?

To understand Scope 3, it’s helpful to look at all three categories defined by the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol – a global standard for measuring carbon emissions:

Scope 1: Direct emissions from your business – things like fuel used on-site or by company-owned vehicles.

Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased energy – like electricity used in your offices or warehouses.

Scope 3: All other indirect emissions from your value chain. That includes how your team gets to work, goods and services you purchase, business travel, and even how your products are used or disposed of.

For many organisations, Scope 3 makes up more than 70% of total emissions. It’s also the trickiest to tackle.

But here’s the good news: commuting is a clear, addressable area within Scope 3. And switching your team into electric vehicles can make a real difference – fast.

Salary Sacrifice: The Gateway to Greener Commuting

Salary sacrifice cars are technically company cars – but they’re not for people who drive for business. They’re for your people who need a car for their life. That includes getting to work, school runs, holidays, and everything in between. And when those cars are electric, your Scope 3 emissions can drop significantly.

Here’s a typical scenario:

Your employee commutes 40 miles a day
In a petrol or diesel car, that’s roughly £7.80 a day in fuel
In an EV, it’s usually under £1
The annual CO₂ saving? Nearly 1 tonne per employee

And that’s just the commute.

If 50 of your staff make the switch, you’re looking at savings of up to 50 tonnes of CO₂ every year, just from reduced commuting emissions.

Not only that, employees pay less in fuel and tax, while you show real progress on your sustainability commitments.

Employers Introducing the Scheme

If you're an employer looking to introduce salary sacrifice to your company, book a call to speak with the Onboarding Team below!

Speak with the Onboarding Team!

Employees Going Green

If you're an employee looking to find out more about green motoring through salary sacrifice, book a call to speak with the Driverline Team below!

Book a Driverline Call!

Reporting Your Impact: What Counts and What Doesn’t?

Let’s be honest, Scope 3 emissions can be a bit grey.

You can’t include every mile driven in a salary sacrifice EV in your emissions reports, because much of it is personal use. But the daily commute absolutely counts.

Every journey to and from work is a quantifiable, reportable Scope 3 emission. And replacing fossil-fuel commutes with electric ones is a simple, transparent win.

Even better, we can track and report these reductions for you annually, helping you strengthen your environmental reporting with verified data.

That means:

Cleaner air for local communities
Lower travel costs for employees
Real emissions reductions to include in your ESG reports

And yes, the environment will thank you, even for the miles you can’t officially report.

It’s Not Just About Compliance, It’s About Leadership

As reporting requirements tighten across the UK and Europe, many organisations are under pressure to demonstrate meaningful progress – not just policies.

Your fleet is one of the few areas where you can take visible, measurable action that benefits everyone:

You meet internal and external ESG targets
Your team gets access to new EVs at little to no cost
The local community benefits from lower air pollution
Your business builds a reputation for doing the right thing

And the best part? You don’t have to build it from scratch.

We’re already doing this with organisations across the UK, from schools and charities to manufacturers and tech firms. We’ll handle the admin, provide ongoing reporting, and ensure you’re always ahead of the curve.

"Great experience with Fleet Evolution from both ordering my car and setting up the scheme, very helpful team."

"Fleet Evolution's commitment to simplicity made the entire experience effortless and convenient. Not only was the process easy to navigate, but it was also incredibly cost-effective, allowing me to enjoy the benefits of driving a Tesla without breaking the bank."

"A very thorough, knowledgeable, friendly and helpful team. We've had a very positive experience with this company when setting up our Salary Sacrifice Scheme for our staff."

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FAQs

What are Scope 3 emissions in simple terms?

Scope 3 emissions are the indirect carbon emissions that happen because of your operations, but not directly within your business. This includes employee commutes, business travel, supply chain activities, and even how your products are used or disposed of.

Do employee commutes really count in Scope 3?

Yes. Travel to and from work is part of Scope 3 reporting under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. It’s classed as "employee commuting" and is one of the few areas where you can show measurable reductions.

How does a salary sacrifice EV reduce our Scope 3 emissions?

When an employee switches from a petrol or diesel car to an EV, the carbon emissions linked to their commute drop significantly. On average, that’s almost 1 tonne of CO₂ per year, per employee, all contributing to your Scope 3 reductions.

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Fleet Evolution offers innovative salary sacrifice schemes, helping employers and employees save on costs while promoting eco-friendly electric cars. Enjoy easy setup, free maintenance, and swift activation for any company size.