Reducing Scope 3 emissions is one of the hardest challenges companies face in their climate strategies. These emissions sit outside direct operational control, span complex value chains, and often depend on decisions made by third parties.  

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For organizations with large real estate footprints, however, there is an often-overlooked lever hiding in plain sight: how their buildings source electricity.

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Many companies treat emissions from leased or externally managed real estate as largely fixed Scope 3 inputs. In reality, the way those assets procure electricity, and whether they use credible renewable energy instruments, can materially change the upstream emissions companies report.  

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With the right approach, real estate can shift from being a Scope 3 constraint to a practical reduction opportunity.

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What are Energy Attribution Certificates (EACs)?

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Energy Attribute Certificates, or EACs, are market-based instruments that represent the environmental attributes of one megawatt-hour of renewable electricity generation.  

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They exist in different forms depending on geography, such as Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) in North America, Guarantees of Origin in Europe, and I-RECs in many other markets.

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Under the GHG Protocol, EACs enable organizations to make Scope 2 electricity claims by matching their electricity consumption with renewable energy generation. When used correctly, EACs allow companies to report lower Scope 2 emissions than they would under location-based grid averages.

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Importantly, EACs do not physically change the electricity flowing into a building. Their value lies in the market signal they create by supporting renewable generation and in the accounting framework that governs corporate emissions reporting.

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How Real Estate Scope 2 Becomes Corporate Scope 3

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To understand why EACs matter for Scope 3, it helps to follow the accounting chain.

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When a company occupies real estate but does not control energy procurement, electricity emissions from those buildings are often reported as Scope 3. This is common in leased offices, warehouses, retail locations, and data centers where landlords manage utilities or where energy costs are bundled into rent or service charges.

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In these cases, the tenant or parent company typically calculates Scope 3 emissions using the building’s electricity emissions. Those emissions are, in turn, based on the asset’s Scope 2 treatment.

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If a real estate asset uses grid-average electricity with no renewable instruments, its Scope 2 emissions are higher. Those higher emissions flow upstream into the tenant’s or owner’s Scope 3 inventory.  

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If that same asset procures renewable electricity through credible EACs, its reported Scope 2 emissions decline, and the upstream Scope 3 emissions reported by occupants or investors fall accordingly.  

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In other words, when real estate assets clean up their Scope 2 electricity claims, companies benefit downstream in Scope 3. The emissions do not disappear physically, but they are accounted for differently under accepted reporting standards.

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Reduce, Then Procure: The Right Hierarchy for Real Estate Assets

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Market-based instruments like EACs can play an important role in emissions accounting, but they should not be treated as a substitute for energy efficiency. Best practice follows a clear hierarchy: reduce first, then procure.

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Reduce

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Real estate assets should prioritize energy conservation measures that cut absolute electricity consumption. These include retro-commissioning, HVAC optimization, lighting upgrades, smart controls, envelope improvements, and tenant engagement programs.  

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Reducing energy use lowers emissions under both location-based and market-based accounting, improves energy intensity metrics, and often delivers cost savings alongside carbon reductions.

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Procure

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Once efficiency opportunities are addressed, remaining electricity demand can be covered through renewable energy procurement.  

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This may include on-site solar, off-site power purchase agreements, or the use of EACs where direct procurement is not feasible. These instruments enable market-based Scope 2 claims and, by extension, reduce upstream Scope 3 emissions for tenants, investors, or parent companies.

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Maintain Integrity

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Procurement must be governed carefully. Organizations should establish clear policies to prevent double counting, align with market-based accounting rules, and maintain thorough documentation. This includes tracking contract details, volumes, vintages, and certificate retirements to ensure claims are credible and auditable.

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Following this hierarchy ensures that emissions reductions are both real in impact and defensible in reporting.

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Make Scope 3 Reduction Actionable Through Real Estate

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Scope 3 emissions often feel intractable because they depend on the actions of others; real estate is one area where companies have more influence than they realize.

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By encouraging or enabling assets to reduce energy use first and procure credible renewable electricity for what remains, organizations can drive meaningful, standards-aligned reductions in reported Scope 3 emissions.  

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Solutions like act50 can help organizations operationalize this approach across complex real estate portfolios by centralizing electricity data, renewable energy procurement, and certificate tracking.

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This enables sustainability, real estate, and procurement teams to work from a shared source of truth, maintain clear audit trails, and consistently apply market-based accounting rules across regions and asset types.  

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The result is not just cleaner reporting, but a more coordinated, scalable path to reducing Scope 3 emissions through real estate engagement.

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