Why the ‘Scope’ of Carbon Emissions Is Hard to Gauge: QuickTake

When a company pledges to cut its carbon emissions, how big a deal is it? That depends on what’s being counted. An oil company’s direct emissions – those from its trucks, drills and facilities – are only a small fraction of the CO2 released when the fuel it sells is burned. A pledge by McDonald’s Corp. to buy solar energy for its offices can be viewed alongside the much larger carbon impact of its suppliers raising cattle and franchises that sell its burgers. As more investors take environmental factors into account, what has been a technical debate is taking on ...