In a recent conversation with a carbon broker they commented “Scope 3 is everywhere and nowhere.”
It’s such an apt description because it’s found in corporate supply chains, logistics, IT purchases, materials and capital goods
And yet: it’s not under operational control, can’t be easily measured and it’s hard to change (before 2030).
That is why Scope 3 is where most strategies stall. And that is why we are see demand for CI instruments taking off. They offer companies a way to act inside Scope 3.
⚙️ What is a CI certificate, in practice?
Carbon Intensity certificates represents a verified reduction in emissions intensity compared to a baseline.
Real examples:
🔹 low-carbon aluminium vs conventional aluminium
🔹 recycled materials vs virgin extraction
🔹 refurbished IT vs new IT
🔹 sustainable aviation fuel vs fossil jet fuel
The product still exists and the supply chain still exists. But the carbon profile is materially lower. And that improvement is what gets certified, verified and transferred.
✈️ It’s already happening
In reality, carbon intensity instruments have been here for years. We already use them when we talk about:
⚡ RECs: are already the leading CI instrument, forecast to be a $45 billion market by 2030
✈️ SAF certificates: lowering the carbon intensity of aviation and growing fast too
The market already understands this logic. What’s new in 2026 is that this is now spreading into Scope 3 categories such as materials, products and capital investments.
🏗️ Why CI is becoming dominant?
CI certificates solve three hard problems at once:
📊 They are measurable: based on real baselines and deltas
🔍 They are auditable: increasingly aligned with ISO and verification standards
📦 They are operational: they work inside procurement and meet CFO requirements (a blog on this coming soon)
CIs ultimately offer companies: predictability, control and scalability. Which is why they are becoming the preferred tool for faster, low-friction, cost effective Scope 3 action.
In my next blog we’ll dive into: how SBTi guidelines are reshaping corporate the target setting plans to 2030.
Sebastian Foot
Co-founder of Bloom Sustainability Advisors.20+ years sustainable finance experience.
