FMI Turns Industry Dialogue into Action with New Scope 3 Measurement Guide

Food retailers and suppliers collaborate on practical recommendations to improve consistency and quality of emissions data

ARLINGTON, Va. - As global leaders gather for COP31 with a heightened focus on translating climate commitments into practical solutions, FMI - The Food Industry Association today announced a new industry resource designed to help food retailers and suppliers strengthen the quality and consistency of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions measurement.

COP31's emphasis on dialogue, consensus and action reflects a progression that has also guided FMI's work through its Carbon Footprint Task Force: bring companies together around shared challenges and translate that collaboration into practical tools companies can use.

The result of FMI's work is the Scope 3 Data Consistency and Quality Guide, developed by FMI's Carbon Footprint Task Force in partnership with Pure Strategies. The guide offers practical recommendations to help food retailers and suppliers improve greenhouse gas emissions data, build greater consistency in measurement and reporting, strengthen supplier engagement and support more informed sustainability decisions.

"Progress on Scope 3 measurement requires more than individual companies working in isolation. It requires dialogue across the value chain, greater consensus around common approaches and practical action," said Julie Savoie, senior director, workforce, talent & sustainability for FMI.

Savoie continued, "By bringing retailers and suppliers to the same table, FMI is helping our industry identify shared challenges and develop solutions that can make emissions data more consistent, useful and actionable."

FMI's guide focuses on several opportunities for improvement, including:

• Applying principles of completeness, consistency, accuracy, transparency and timeliness to strengthen the quality of emissions inventories.
• Identifying opportunities to move from spend-based estimates toward more specific activity-based data.
• Assessing the maturity of companies' Scope 3 data and identifying opportunities for continued improvement.
• Strengthening supplier engagement while helping minimize duplicative data requests across shared supply chains.
• Establishing consistent methodologies, documenting assumptions and managing changes to emissions inventories over time.

The work aligns particularly well with the broader implementation focus emerging at COP31. FMI's Carbon Footprint Task Force is a multi-year effort, and FMI will continue working with retailers, suppliers and other members in 2027 to address additional challenges associated with Scope 3 measurement and identify opportunities for greater industry alignment.

Media may request a copy of FMI's Scope 3 Data Consistency and Quality Guide.

The Scope 3 Data Consistency and Quality Guide offers practical recommendations to help food retailers and suppliers improve greenhouse gas emissions data, build greater consistency in measurement and reporting, strengthen supplier engagement and support more informed sustainability decisions.

The Scope 3 Data Consistency and Quality Guide was developed by FMI's Carbon Footprint Task Force, made up of food retail and supplier members, in partnership with Pure Strategies.

The audience for the Scope 3 Data Consistency and Quality Guide includes food retailers and suppliers looking to improve greenhouse gas emissions.

FMI's guide focuses on key points, including:

• Applying principles of completeness, consistency, accuracy, transparency and timeliness to strengthen the quality of emissions inventories.
• Identifying opportunities to move from spend-based estimates toward more specific activity-based data.
• Assessing the maturity of companies' Scope 3 data and identifying opportunities for continued improvement.
• Strengthening supplier engagement while helping minimize duplicative data requests across shared supply chains.
• Establishing consistent methodologies, documenting assumptions and managing changes to emissions inventories over time.