Direct emissions
2,993
tCO2e
Back to search resultsEmissions
Sustainability
Scope
ESTIMATED REPORTED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED ESTIMATED 
Read the full scoring methodologyOur white paper covers exactly how the Mycelium Score and Transparency Score are calculated, including the normalisation process and what earns a 10/10.Download the white paper (PDF)
Mycelium Score0.5 / 10Significant room to improveFTransparencyVery LowMinimal disclosure across key areas
Explore carbon emissions data for HarperCollins. Mycelium helps you review reported emissions, disclosure status, Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 data, climate targets and sustainability information in one company profile.
This profile brings together available carbon emissions data for HarperCollins, including reported figures, modelled estimates, disclosure documents and sustainability indicators, so you can review its emissions and compare its performance against similar companies. It is one entry in the Mycelium emissions database. Read how we source and check this data.
Emissions
Carbon emissions
Total yearly emissions across all scopes
494,696tCO2e(Market Based)(Mycelium adjusted)
- Reported by HarperCollins
- 151,822 tCO₂e
- Estimated by Mycelium
- 342,874 tCO₂e
HarperCollins reported 31% of the adjusted total. Mycelium estimated the remaining 69% for the categories it did not disclose. HarperCollins reported a Scope 3 total of 146,300 tCO₂e but did not break it down into the 15 categories. The model of the categories it did not report comes to more than that, so the adjusted total counts the model, with the reported figure inside it.
Scope 1
tCO2e
2,993
Scope 2 (Market Based)
tCO2e
5,522
Scope 3 total
tCO2e
486,181
Figures from pages 40 and 41 of the source report
Scope 3 reported
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
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See the scope breakdownProvenance
Emissions
Factors
0.052kgCO2e / $
Supplier specific emission factors (kgCO2e / $)
Modelled
Reported
UpstreamScope 1, 2 + upstream Scope 3
0.052
0.003
Total+ all Scope 3
–
0.076
Per US dollar of revenue. Mycelium models the upstream factor only.
Which figure should I use?
Estimating your own supply-chain emissions from spend with this company? Use Upstream Modelled. The GHG Protocol defines purchased-goods emissions as cradle-to-gate, which means this company's own operations plus its upstream supply chain. Any of those emissions the company has not disclosed are filled with modelled estimates, so a transparent company is not unfairly penalised against one that simply has not reported.
Looking at what the company filed itself? Use the Reported column. Total Reported also includes downstream emissions, such as the lifetime use of the products this company sells, which the GHG Protocol attributes to the users of those products rather than to customers buying goods and services.
Reported counts only emissions the company has filed itself. A blank or low Reported cell does not mean those emissions do not exist, just that the company has not disclosed them. When Upstream Reported sits close to Upstream Modelled, that is a positive signal: the company has disclosed most of its upstream emissions.
Sustainability
Snapshot
Based on reported data, retrieved with AI
- HarperCollins reported 151,822 tCO₂e in 2023.
- Scope 3 accounted for 96% of reported emissions.
- Scope 2 reported under the market based methodology.
According to available emissions disclosures, HarperCollins reported total yearly emissions of 151,822 tCO₂e in 2023. Scope 3 emissions accounted for 96% of the reported footprint, indicating supply chain activity, purchased goods and services, business travel, and wider operational dependencies were the most significant contributors to the company's carbon footprint.
The company achieved a Mycelium Score of 0.5, placing it well below average for its sector for sustainability performance, and received a transparency score of 10.0, pointing to very little public detail on their key emissions.
Scope
breakdown
Scope 1 emissions
Direct emissions from sources the company owns or controls, such as fuel use, facilities and vehicles.
Scope 2 emissions
Indirect emissions from purchased energy, including electricity, heating and cooling.
Location based
–
tCO2eMarket based
5,522
tCO2eScope 3 emissions
Wider value chain emissions across the 15 GHG Protocol categories, from purchased goods and business travel to investments, where reported.
HarperCollins reported a Scope 3 total of 146,300 tCO₂e but did not break it down into the 15 categories. Mycelium's model of the categories it did not report comes to more than that, so the estimates below replace it in the adjusted total, with the reported figure counted inside them. The reported figure is not discarded, and you can see it in the downloads below.
Cat 1
Purchased goods & services
67,714
tCO2eCat 2
Capital goods
14,839
tCO2eCat 3
Fuel & energy related activities
3,276
tCO2eCat 4
Upstream transportation & distribution
2,569
tCO2eCat 5
Waste generated in operations
138
tCO2eCat 6
Business travel
2,156
tCO2eCat 7
Employee commuting
2,616
tCO2eCat 8
Upstream leased assets
1,615
tCO2eCat 9
Downstream transportation & distribution
8,535
tCO2eCat 10
Processing of sold products
318,826
tCO2eCat 11
Use of sold products
51,858
tCO2eCat 12
End-of-life treatment of sold products
346
tCO2eCat 13
Downstream leased assets
5,970
tCO2eCat 14
Franchises
1,554
tCO2eCat 15
Investments
4,169
tCO2e16 values were derived via Mycelium's normalisation process rather than reported by the company. The company's own Scope 3 total is reported, it was simply filed as a single figure with no category split. A cell marked “ESTIMATED” is a figure the company did not disclose, modelled by Mycelium.
Verification
Independent third parties involved in checking or preparing HarperCollins's emissions data.
Independent assurance
Independently assured(limited assurance)by Cventure LLCfor 2023
Carbon accountant
Benchmark ESG and HXIE Partnersprepared the 2023 figures
Contact Info
Website
www.harpercollins.comCountry
United States of America
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How scoring works
How the Mycelium Score is calculated
The Mycelium Score is out of 10. Up to 6.5 points reflect carbon intensity vs peers in the same NACE section (emissions normalised against revenue, log-scaled between the 5th and 95th percentile of each company's latest reporting year in that section; a section needs at least 5 companies to be benchmarked). The band above 6.5 is earned through verified data quality on a claimed profile: declaring every reporting category yourself (up to 2.0), preparation by a carbon accountant (2.0) and independently audited figures (2.0). The total is multiplied by the transparency score and capped at 10. A disclosure with an implausibly large figure (Scope 1 or 2 over 300 million tonnes, a Scope 3 figure over 2 billion tonnes or a total over 2.5 billion tonnes) is not scored until it has been checked.
A higher score means lower carbon intensity than sector peers, backed by data that's third-party verified, claimed by the company, and fully disclosed. HarperCollins's score sits at the top of this page and in the score panel. Without a revenue figure to measure carbon intensity, or an industry classification to compare it within, a company has no score.
How the Transparency Score is calculated
The Transparency Score is the share of a company's estimated footprint that it reported itself, graded from A (very high) down to F (very low). Where a category is missing, Mycelium models what it would hold for a company of that size and industry and counts it as undisclosed, so an unreported category where the bulk of emissions sit hurts far more than a minor one. Unreported downstream categories (9 to 15) count at a quarter of their modelled size in this share; the carbon intensity behind the score still counts them in full. A Scope 3 total filed without a category breakdown earns very little credit for the part left unattributed, because it does not show which categories are inside it: a company can count business travel, leave purchased goods out entirely, and the total looks the same. Without a revenue figure the footprint cannot be modelled, so the company has no Transparency Score.
For HarperCollins, the single biggest gap is Processing of sold products (Scope 3 Category 10). Mycelium estimates it accounts for around 64% of the company's estimated footprint, yet it hasn't been disclosed. Leaving a bucket this large unreported is what's holding the transparency score down.
Other material categories HarperCollins hasn't disclosed:
- Purchased goods & services (Scope 3 Category 1), around 14% of the estimated footprint
- Use of sold products (Scope 3 Category 11), around 10% of the estimated footprint
In total, roughly 99% of HarperCollins's estimated emissions sit in categories it hasn't reported. Disclosing these would be the fastest way to raise the transparency score.
Read the full scoring methodologyOur white paper covers exactly how the Mycelium Score and Transparency Score are calculated, including the normalisation process and what earns a 10/10.Download the white paper (PDF)Compare HarperCollins with similar companies
HarperCollins carbon emissions FAQs
What are HarperCollins's carbon emissions?
In its 2023 reporting year, HarperCollins disclosed total emissions of 151,822 tCO2e across all scopes. Including Mycelium estimates for undisclosed categories, the adjusted total is 494,696 tCO2e. Scope 3 accounted for the largest share of the reported total, around 96%.
Does HarperCollins report Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions?
For 2023, HarperCollins's available disclosure covers Scope 2 (5,522 tCO2e) and a Scope 3 total of 146,300 tCO2e without a category breakdown. Figures not reported by the company are shown as modelled estimates and labelled as such.
How transparent is HarperCollins's emissions reporting?
HarperCollins has a Mycelium transparency score of 10.0 out of 100. The score is the share of the company's estimated footprint that it reported itself, so an undisclosed category where most of its emissions sit weighs far more than a minor one.
Is HarperCollins sustainable?
Mycelium measures sustainability through carbon emissions data rather than giving a yes or no verdict. HarperCollins has a Mycelium Score of 0.5 out of 10, which reflects its emissions intensity against sector peers together with how transparent and well-verified its reporting is. The emissions figures and disclosure documents on this page give the fuller picture.
Is HarperCollins environmentally friendly?
Carbon emissions are one measurable part of environmental impact, and the part Mycelium tracks. HarperCollins disclosed 151,822 tCO2e for 2023, and its Mycelium Score of 0.5 out of 10 shows how that performance compares with similar companies in its sector.
Learn more about our methodology and where this data comes from.