IBM calculates its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard and follows procedures aligned with the ISO 14064-1 standard.
With few exceptions, IBM does not estimate Scope 3 GHG emissions associated with its value chain because the necessary gross assumptions associated with such estimates simply do not enable credible, factual results.
IBM position on Scope 3 GHG emissions
IBM GHG Limited Assurance Statement and ISO 14064-1 Certificate
Scope 1 emissions
Use of fossil fuels for operations
Use of fossil fuels for transportation
Use of chemicals with a global warming potential
2019
98,000
64,000
26,000
8,000
2020
73,000
59,000
8,000
6,000
2021
78,000
58,000
8,000
12,000
2022
78,000
54,000
17,000
7,000
2023
71,000
49,000
14,000
8,000
Scope 2 emissions (market-based)
Use of electricity in IBM-managed locations
Use of purchased energy commodities
460,000
434,000
26,000
262,000
240,000
22,000
221,000
198,000
23,000
183,000
170,000
13,000
150,000
139,000
11,000
Scope 2 emissions (location-based)
546,000
413,000
356,000
330,000
306,000
Scope 3 emissions²
Purchased goods and services
Use of sold products
Upstream leased assets
Business travel
Employee commuting
251,000
287,000
40,000
393,000
119,000
234,000
291,000
13,000
85,000
42,000
176,000
272,000
13,000
37,000
15,000
169,000
264,000
18,000
125,000
10,000
143,000
297,000
13,000
117,000
15,000
Biogenic emissions3
-
-
-
-
700
¹Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
²Description of Scope 3 emissions:
- Purchased goods and services
These are the emissions associated with IBM's use of electricity in data centers located in facilities managed by third parties where IBM does not procure the electricity (also referred to as co-location data centers).
- Use of sold products
These are the emissions associated with the electricity consumption of our sold products when they are used by our clients. In estimating emissions from the use of our sold products, we only capture products sold during the reporting year and account for 12 months of estimated consumption. We use product specifications such as nameplate power, quantity of products sold every year, we make assumptions around typical client hardware utilization rates, and use industry average Power Usage Effectiveness and global electricity GHG emission factors to estimate these emissions. We do not extrapolate this data to estimate emissions around a hypothetical lifetime of our products because that would require gross assumptions based on lifetime and specific client applications.
- Upstream leased assets
In some countries, IBM provides leased vehicles for employees that they may use for personal purposes. For these vehicles, we have set standard guidelines that require leasing of vehicles with lower emissions profiles. These guidelines enable reductions in average car emission levels as the car fleets are renewed.
- Business travel
These emissions are associated to business air travel on commercial carriers and car rentals. Business travel is a necessary and important part of ensuring that IBM understands our clients' needs and delivers the best client experience possible. We have worked with rental car companies to require that they offer more fuel-efficient vehicles to our employees while traveling for business. IBMers can reduce the need for travel by taking advantage of strategic collaboration and meeting tools that allow them to easily engage with clients and their colleagues to have productive meetings, without the need for travel.
- Employee commuting
Our reported figure for employee commuting emissions only includes estimations made for our U.S. employees since this is the population for which we can make credible assumptions around their commuting behavior and we have access to reliable third-party data to estimate emissions. IBM has been active for decades in promoting programs that reduce employees' work-related commutes and associated GHG emissions. For example, many locations promote biking to work by having bicycle lockers, racks and showers available on-site. At several larger locations, IBM sponsors shuttle services to transport employees to mass transit stations and also between IBM campuses and buildings Also, many IBM locations are within reach of the public transportation system, giving employees the choice to use more energy-efficient mass transit to commute to work. Globally, many of our locations partner with local public transit authorities to develop ride-sharing programs and negotiate subsidized transit passes for IBM employees.
3CO2 emissions associated with IBM's use of biofuels. In line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, these emissions are reported separately and not accounted for as Scope 1 emissions because they are considered part of the natural CO2 cycle.