Scaling product emissions modeling for Fortinet
Learn how Fortinet modeled emissions across 9,500+ products and 100+ countries, improving accuracy and informing its long-term climate strategy.
This work was originally delivered by Optera, which is now a part of Green Project. Together, we're continuing to help businesses of all sizes measure, manage, and reduce emissions.
Fortinet, a global cybersecurity leader, began working with Optera in 2021 to build its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory. In 2023, Fortinet expanded this work to include its Scope 3 inventory — the most significant category.
With over 830,000 customers in over 100 countries, and more than 13.7 million Fortinet products shipped, Fortinet needed a scalable and accurate method to calculate emissions that aligned with GHG Protocol Standards and met emerging regulations, including the EU CSRD and California’s climate disclosure rules.
The Challenge
Fortinet had to estimate emissions for over 9,500 products — each with unique energy consumption characteristics — across more than 40 product families. The calculation methodology also needed to account for country-specific electricity grid emissions based on where each product was used globally.
The Solution
In 2023, Fortinet and Optera began with revenue-based estimations to build a baseline.
In 2024, they transitioned to a more refined, product-level approach. Fortinet provided detailed power consumption data, enabling Optera to estimate product level energy use, apply country-specific grid emission factors, and model over 40 product families with tailored usage profiles.
The enhanced model also integrated country-level decarbonization trajectories, business growth scenarios, and expected emissions reductions from future product design improvements.
The result: a significantly more accurate and future-ready use of sold product emissions inventory.
The Impact
This advanced approach not only improved Fortinet’s emissions reporting but also provided valuable insights to inform R&D and product design, and to support Fortinet’s broader net-zero ambitions. These targets include Scope 1 & 2 targets aligned with a 1.5°C pathway, and Scope 3 targets focused on supplier and customer engagement.
Explore Fortinet’s latest Sustainability report to see how the company is advancing emissions transparency and climate action across its global operations.