The Sangrove Methodology

Can emissions that never occur — because insufficient verified demand prevented unnecessary production — be measured with credibility and transparency?

The problem with conventional climate metrics

Most climate metrics quantify emissions only after production has already taken place and resources have been consumed. Yet a substantial share of climate impact is determined much earlier — at the point where decisions are made about whether production should proceed at all. This challenge is especially acute in design‑driven and trend‑driven consumer goods, where demand for new products is often assumed rather than measured, resulting in systematic overproduction. Categories such as apparel, fashion, footwear, and lifestyle goods routinely generate far more product options than actual demand can absorb.

Shifting the focus upstream

This white paper introduces a different lens for climate impact measurement: shifting the analytical focus upstream, to the stage where verified and documented demand insufficiency can still prevent unnecessary production and the emissions it would have generated. This upstream decision layer is operationalized through Impact Commerce.

The Sangrove methodology

The document presents Sangrove’s methodology for calculating avoided CO₂e emissions by validating demand before production begins, linking verified demand signals to the prevention of production that would otherwise have occurred — and to the climate outcomes shaped by those decisions.