This final video in the Meat Institute Sustainability Committee’s Scope 3 Category 1 series wraps up the Spend-Based and Hybrid Methodologies and answers common questions.

SCS Engineers and Sam Wildman review key greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factor databases, including the USEPA EEIO database, the cross-sector Watershed CEDA tool (which uses country-of-origin and NAICS codes), other sector-specific emission factors, LCAs, and supplier-specific harvest data from questionnaires or CDP — noting that some CDP data is becoming restricted.

Key takeaways include the importance of effective and accurate data collection, why companies often start with estimated spend data, and how hybrid methods can improve accuracy but have limitations for tracking real decarbonization progress. The discussion also highlights the opportunity to report by species and why understanding Scope 3 contributions helps identify meaningful reduction strategies and supports carbon targets. Finally, the video previews the next session on California Climate Reporting and how it connects to gathering Scope 1–3 data.

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