Shoes look small. Their carbon is not. Every lace, every stitch, each ride on a truck adds tiny puffs that turn big. Good news: there is a simple way to count it better this year. We follow Coats’ 2024 methodology and make the math feel like tidy boxes, not scary clouds.
Table of Contents
What changed in 2024 (in plain talk)
Rules got clearer. Coats aligned work with new EU reporting ideas, did a “double-materiality” check, and tuned our carbon process so brands can read numbers the same way across teams. It’s grown-up accounting for planet stuff, and it helps audits go smoothly.
Scope 3, the big bucket
Scope 3 means value-chain emissions. Things before your factory (like making thread, foam, leather) and after it (shipping shoes, end-of-life). For most apparel folks, this bucket is the biggest one. So we start here, not later.
The core recipe Coats uses
Our 2024 method follows the GHG Protocol data-quality ladder. Start with the best data you can get, then step down only if you must. We pull base activity data from inside systems (weights, meters, shipments), and then multiply by emission factors from suppliers, LCA databases, and trusted industry sources. One stack, same math, repeat yearly.
Two ways to calculate (pick smart)
Sometimes you have exact kilos and energy. Use activity-based math. Other times, you only have to spend. Then use spend-based factors as a bridge. Simple: measure when you can, estimate when you must, and keep moving up the ladder next season.
A sneaker-friendly, five-step audit
1) Map the shoe like a pizza.
Slice by parts: upper knit, lining, toe puff, counter, midsole foam, outsole rubber, thread, glue, box, tissue, hangtag, last-mile ship. Use your BOM and weigh pieces if you can. Kids can help with a kitchen scale. (Fun, but true.)
2) Tag each slice to the Scope 3 categories.
- 3.1 Purchased goods & services → materials like polyester knit, EVA/PEBA, leather, polyester sewing thread (like polyester embroidery thread).
- 3.4 Upstream transport → raw stuff traveling to your factory.
- 3.5 Waste → off-cuts, scrap from cutting and lasting.
- 3.9 Downstream transport → finished shoes to DC or store.
- 3.12 End-of-life → landfill, recycling, take-back.
Name the buckets right so totals aren’t messy.
3) Pick the right emission factor (EF) each time.
Follow the ladder:
a) Supplier-specific EF (best).
b) LCA database EF for the same material & region.
c) Industry average EF (okay for pilots).
Log the source, year, region, and unit so auditors nod.
4) Do the math, but keep it tiny-simple.
For each part: weight × EF = kg CO₂e.
For transport: ton-km × transport EF.
For waste: kg waste × disposal EF.
Sum the slices → one pair. Multiply by order size → your launch. Check the sense: midsoles and purchased materials usually dominate; shipping is next; the box is small but not zero. (No surprises there.)
5) Color it for decisions.
A traffic-light pie chart where red is the biggest, yellow is medium, and green is small can be really useful. Put that chart next to your line plan so designers see where to cut grams, not just costs.
Where to focus first (fast wins)
- Purchased goods & services is often the giant slice. Lower-carbon materials matter most here. Switch virgin to recycled or bio where performance fits; Coats’ strategy and science-based targets push this path because it shrinks Scope 3 fastest.
- Transport: move from air to ocean, ocean to rail, rail to truck, where possible. Consolidate cartons. Small planning, big CO₂.
- Adhesives & threads: choose water-based films and recycled PET threads so mono-material uppers are easier to recycle later. Counting gets clearer; end-of-life goes down.
Make your digital twin do the counting
Your 3-D sneaker already knows every part. Add weight fields and link each part to its EF from a shared library. The model then spits a live pair footprint while you design. Change foam? Number moves. Add a heel counter? Number moves again. This is how you cut sample rounds and carbon at the same time—by watching the dial during design, not after shipment.
Keep auditors happy (and calm)
- Document the ladder choice for every EF. Note: “Supplier EF 2024 (Asia), backup ecoinvent 3.x.”
- Stamp your assumptions. If you used spend-based factors for a trim, write it. Plan a path to upgrade next season.
- Recalculate yearly with the same rules so trends are clean; Coats does this on an annual cycle.
Targets and truth
Fancy goals keep teams moving straight. Coats’ science-based targets commit to reducing absolute Scope 3 by 33% by 2030 (vs. 2019) and reach Net-Zero by 2050—approved by SBTi in 2024. Why care? Because your thread and components live inside those numbers, when we cut upstream emissions together, your brand scorecard gets better, too.
Tiny playbook for your next drop
- Audit one hero model using the five-step map.
- Replace the top two red slices (usually midsole/upper materials or air freight) with lower-EF options.
- Re-run the math; set a per-pair target you can say out loud.
- Lock supplier EFs in your PLM; no mystery files hiding in inboxes.
- Publish a short footprint card on the PDP: “This pair ≈ X kg CO₂e; biggest part: materials; what we improved: Y.” Honesty sells.
Last word, small but strong
Counting carbon in your kicks is not rocket science. It is pizza slices, ladders, and tidy notes. Use Coats’ 2024 methodology—best data first, clear buckets, same math each year—and the audit stops being a fire drill. You save weeks, you save waste, you save face. Most of all, you point design and sourcing at the real hotspots, and the next pair of steps are lighter than the last. That’s how numbers turn into better shoes.
