Direct land
use change emissions
Build a credible land use change baseline for Scope 3 reporting
Land use change is often one of the largest contributors to Scope 3 emissions in agricultural supply chains.
Meridia helps companies calculate supply-base-specific land use change emissions using sourcing regions, supply sheds, or farm-level traceability data, creating a more representative baseline for Scope 3 reporting, FLAG target-setting, and climate disclosures.
Designed to support reporting under GHG Protocol (LSRS), SBTi FLAG, and CSRD.
Move beyond national emission factors
Most land use change assessments rely on country-level averages that do not reflect the reality of individual supply chains.
Two companies sourcing the same commodity from the same country can have very different land use change footprints depending on where they source and how their suppliers operate. National averages cannot capture these differences.
Meridia calculates land use change emission factors using sourcing regions, supply sheds, or farm-level data, creating a more representative baseline for Scope 3 reporting.
This helps companies:
- Identify emissions hotspots
- Prioritise supplier engagement and interventions
- Measure the impact of sourcing decisions
- Track progress towards climate and no-deforestation commitments
Where available, assessments can be built using the same farm polygon data already collected for EUDR compliance and deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF) commitments.
Meridia advisory and Scope 3
Meridia combines spatial intelligence with on-the-ground expertise to help companies build credible land use change baselines and improve the quality of their Scope 3 reporting.
Supply shed modelling
Where farm-level traceability is not yet available, Meridia models sourcing regions and supply sheds around factories, mills, or other sourcing locations to establish representative land use change baselines.
Why companies choose Meridia
Precision matched to your data
Whether your starting point is a sourcing region, first-aggregator locations, or verified farm polygons, Meridia calculates dLUC at the highest resolution your data supports, using pixel-level carbon stock measurements instead of regional averages. The number reflects your actual supply base, not a proxy for it.
Benchmark your sourcing footprint
Compare supplier, sourcing-area, and jurisdictional footprints to understand how your supply base performs relative to the wider sourcing landscape. Identify hotspots, prioritise interventions, and make more informed sourcing decisions.
Audit-ready ouputs
Methodology designed to support reporting under GHG Protocol LSRS, SBTi FLAG, and CSRD
requirements. Documented, transparent, and suitable for external assurance processes.
Two pathways to land use change accounting
Jurisdictional land use change (jdLUC)
- Built from sourcing regions and supply shed modelling.
- Jurisdiction- and region-level modelling.
- More representative than generic emission factors.
- Credible starting point where traceability is limited.
- Best for companies building an initial Scope 3 baseline.
Direct land use change (dLUC)
- Built from supplier polygons and primary supply chain data.
- Farm- and supplier-level results.
- Pixel-level carbon stock calculations.
- Highest precision for Scope 3 reporting.
- Best for companies with traceability or EUDR workflows.
Start with the best data available
Meridia helps companies calculate supply-base-specific land use change emissions using sourcing regions, supply sheds, or farm-level traceability data, creating a more representative baseline for Scope 3 reporting, FLAG target-setting, and climate disclosures.
Designed to support reporting under GHG Protocol (LSRS), SBTi FLAG, and CSRD.
Built around the data you already have
You provide
We deliver
Farm polygons
Farm-level dLUC emission factors
Farm locations
Farm plot detection and farm-level dLUC assessments
Factories, mills or sourcing regions
jdLUC emission factors based on supply shed modelling
Transparent methodology
Meridia's land use change assessments combine land conversion analysis, carbon stock modelling, and supply chain data to calculate supply-base-specific land use change emission factors.
The methodology operates at 30-metre resolution, field by field. When land conversion is observed, it is attributed to the specific commodity responsible rather than averaged across a wider region. Carbon stock present before conversion is measured directly at pixel level, allowing actual carbon loss to be quantified and expressed as CO₂ equivalent.
Before emissions calculations begin, farm polygon data is verified through Meridia Verify®. Data quality checks, deforestation findings, and conversion assessments are incorporated directly into the analysis, ensuring calculations are built on validated supply chain data.
The output is total jdLUC or dLUC emissions in kg of CO₂e per kg of commodity traded, broken down by farm, origin, or sourcing area. Auditable, benchmarkable, and ready to feed directly into Scope 3 accounting.
Benchmarking and performance context
Emission factors are most valuable when viewed in context.
Alongside supply-base-specific land use change assessments, Meridia can compare results against jurisdictional benchmarks. This allows companies to understand how their sourcing footprint compares to the wider sourcing landscape and identify areas where supplier engagement, sourcing decisions, or landscape investments may have the greatest impact.
By combining farm-level or supplier-level assessments with jurisdictional benchmarks, companies gain a clearer understanding of where emissions exposure sits across their supply base and where opportunities for improvement exist.
Aligned with major frameworks
Effective January 2027
The LSRS represents a major shift in how companies must measure and report land sector emissions. Data expectations have jumped. Companies will need more granular, supplier-specific, and geographically precise data than ever before. The Standard specifies that to use granular spatial boundaries, such as sourcing region, land management unit, or harvest area, a company must have physical traceability supported by accepted chain-of-custody models.
In effect - targets required for all land-intensive companies
SBTi FLAG targets cover land-related emissions across three categories: land use change, land management emissions, and land-based carbon removals. Credible target-setting requires a defensible, supply-base-specific baseline, without one, companies have no way to measure progress or validate achievement. FLAG v1.2, published in March 2026, introduced updated no-deforestation requirements and expanded commodity coverage
Under CSRD, Scope 3 reporting is mandatory for all in-scope companies where value chain emissions are material, governed by ESRS E1 on climate change, which requires companies to disclose indirect emissions across both upstream and downstream activities. For food and agricultural companies, land use change is almost always the largest and most scrutinised component of that disclosure. These disclosures must be audit-ready and structured according to double materiality principles
FAQs
A dLUC assessment calculates the greenhouse gas emissions released as a result of land being converted from its natural state, forest, savannah, peatland, to agricultural use. It is the largest component of Scope 3 emissions for most agri-commodity companies. Meridia calculates dLUC at farm level, using verified polygon data and high-resolution carbon stock maps.
Averaged emission factors estimate land use change at a country or regional level. They don't reflect where your commodity was actually produced, or whether deforestation occurred on the specific farms you source from. Meridia's approach starts from verified farm data. The result is more precise, typically lower, and fully traceable.
If you're already using Meridia Verify for EUDR or DCF compliance, your farm polygon data already forms the basis of the dLUC assessment, no additional data collection required. If you're starting from scratch, Meridia can support you with supply shed modelling or data collection.
Meridia currently supports the most widely traded agri-commodities across key origins. Coverage is strongest where Verify's verified farm polygon data is most established. Contact us to confirm coverage for your specific supply base.
Share your farm polygons, first aggregator locations, or sourcing region boundaries for the commodities and origins you want to assess. If you already use Meridia Verify® for EUDR or DCF compliance, your polygon data is already in the platform.
Meridia runs quality checks on your supplier information before emissions calculations begin. Existing Verify customers can feed deforestation and conversion findings directly from their compliance profile into this step.
Meridia uses a high-resolution land conversion methodology to calculate direct land use change emissions from your primary data, based on actual carbon stock loss at pixel level rather than averaged factors.
You receive total dLUC emissions in kg of CO₂e per kg of commodity traded, broken down by origin, supplier, or sourcing area. Results are benchmarkable, auditable, exportable, and ready for Scope 3 reporting.
No. Meridia currently calculates gross land use change emissions only. This means the assessment captures carbon losses from land conversion, but does not yet account for carbon gains, removals, or sequestration.