# Applying SUI Across Sectors

# Applying SUI Across Sectors

The SUI framework is sector-agnostic. Any enterprise whose product or service produces a measurable, attributable environmental or social outcome can define a SUI. This page provides a generalisation guide across the major cleantech and impact sectors relevant to the CleantechHUB portfolio.

## Sector-by-Sector SUI Templates

### Agriculture and Food Systems

<table id="bkmrk-sub-sectorapplicatio"><thead><tr><th>Sub-sector</th><th>Application Event</th><th>SUI Name</th><th>Unit</th><th>Key Baseline Challenge</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Bio-inputs / Biostimulants</td><td>1 kg product applied per hectare</td><td>Chemical Displacement per Hectare</td><td>kg CO₂e / ha</td><td>Regional synthetic input averages vary widely; disaggregate by crop and region</td></tr><tr><td>Precision irrigation</td><td>1 irrigation event per hectare</td><td>Water Saved per Irrigation Event</td><td>m³ water / ha</td><td>Counterfactual irrigation volume from regional water authority statistics</td></tr><tr><td>Food waste reduction</td><td>1 kg food waste diverted from landfill</td><td>Landfill Diversion per kg</td><td>kg CO₂e / kg food</td><td>National landfill emission factors from EPA/environment ministry</td></tr><tr><td>Regenerative agriculture platform</td><td>1 hectare enrolled and verified per season</td><td>Soil Carbon per Hectare</td><td>tCO₂e / ha / year</td><td>Requires soil sampling; LCA scope 3 often controversial — document boundary carefully</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Energy and Mobility

<table id="bkmrk-sub-sectorapplicatio-1"><thead><tr><th>Sub-sector</th><th>Application Event</th><th>SUI Name</th><th>Unit</th><th>Key Baseline Challenge</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>EV Charging</td><td>1 kWh delivered through managed charger</td><td>kWh Delivered per Session</td><td>kg CO₂e avoided / kWh</td><td>Grid emission factor must be updated as grid decarbonises — a diminishing SUI over time</td></tr><tr><td>Distributed solar (C&amp;I)</td><td>1 kWh generated by installed system</td><td>Clean kWh Generated per Month</td><td>kg CO₂e / kWh</td><td>Grid displacement assumes system substitutes grid power, not additional consumption</td></tr><tr><td>Electric two-wheelers (fleet)</td><td>1 km driven by fleet vehicle</td><td>Clean km per Vehicle</td><td>kg CO₂e / km</td><td>Fleet average ICE equivalent; leakage if displaced drivers switch to ICE alternatives</td></tr><tr><td>Energy efficiency (buildings)</td><td>1 month of occupancy in certified efficient building</td><td>Energy Intensity Reduction per m²</td><td>kWh / m² / month</td><td>Baseline energy intensity from building energy audit; weather-normalisation required</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Water and Sanitation

<table id="bkmrk-sub-sectorapplicatio-2"><thead><tr><th>Sub-sector</th><th>Application Event</th><th>SUI Name</th><th>Unit</th><th>Key Baseline Challenge</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Water purification (household)</td><td>1 litre purified and delivered</td><td>Safe Water per Litre</td><td>DALY avoided / 1000 litres</td><td>WHO DALY factors for waterborne disease; counterfactual water source quality data</td></tr><tr><td>Industrial water recycling</td><td>1 m³ water recycled vs. discharged</td><td>Water Recycled per m³</td><td>m³ freshwater saved</td><td>Industrial water withdrawal baseline from watershed authority</td></tr><tr><td>Wastewater treatment</td><td>1 m³ wastewater treated to standard</td><td>Pollution Load Removed per m³</td><td>kg BOD removed / m³</td><td>Effluent quality standard (discharge permit defines counterfactual)</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Circular Economy and Waste

<table id="bkmrk-sub-sectorapplicatio-3"><thead><tr><th>Sub-sector</th><th>Application Event</th><th>SUI Name</th><th>Unit</th><th>Key Baseline Challenge</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Plastic recycling</td><td>1 kg plastic collected and processed</td><td>Plastic Diverted per kg</td><td>kg CO₂e / kg plastic</td><td>Emission factor depends on plastic type and alternative disposal method</td></tr><tr><td>Electronics refurbishment</td><td>1 device refurbished and resold</td><td>Device Life Extension</td><td>kg CO₂e / device</td><td>Avoided manufacturing emissions require LCA of new device equivalent</td></tr><tr><td>Industrial symbiosis platform</td><td>1 kg waste matched between producer and consumer</td><td>Waste-to-Resource Match per kg</td><td>kg CO₂e / kg material</td><td>Complex: must account for transport emissions of rerouted material</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Biodiversity and Land Use

<table id="bkmrk-sub-sectorapplicatio-4"><thead><tr><th>Sub-sector</th><th>Application Event</th><th>SUI Name</th><th>Unit</th><th>Key Baseline Challenge</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Forest conservation (REDD+)</td><td>1 ha protected for 1 year</td><td>Deforestation Avoided per Hectare</td><td>tCO₂e / ha / year</td><td>FREL (Forest Reference Emission Level) required; jurisdictional baseline complex</td></tr><tr><td>Ecosystem restoration</td><td>1 ha restored to target condition</td><td>Biodiversity Units Restored per Hectare</td><td>BNG units / ha (UK metric) or equivalent</td><td>Baseline habitat condition assessment; TNFD metrics preferred</td></tr><tr><td>Sustainable aquaculture</td><td>1 tonne of certified product harvested</td><td>Wild Fish Substitution per Tonne</td><td>tonne wild harvest avoided / tonne farmed</td><td>Feed conversion ratio and wild fish equivalent calculation required</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Five Cross-Sector Principles

1. **Outcome over output:** Always define the SUI at the outcome level (CO₂e avoided, m³ water saved, DALY avoided) not the output level (units sold, installations completed). Investors and MDBs will push to the outcome level in due diligence — define it proactively.
2. **Net not gross:** The SUI is always net of counterfactual. A solar installation that adds capacity to an already-decarbonising grid has a smaller net SUI than an equivalent installation displacing coal. Acknowledge this honestly — it demonstrates credibility.
3. **Scope boundaries must be stated:** Scope 1 (direct), Scope 2 (energy), Scope 3 (value chain) boundaries must be explicit. For most cleantech products, the most impactful emissions are Scope 3 avoided — but these are also the hardest to verify. Be precise about which scopes your SUI covers.
4. **Diminishing SUIs are acceptable:** A grid-connected clean energy SUI will naturally decline as the grid decarbonises. Document this explicitly and include a projection of how the SUI evolves under different grid decarbonisation scenarios. This demonstrates sophistication rather than hiding a risk.
5. **Negative SUIs must be disclosed:** If your product produces some environmental harm alongside its primary benefit (e.g., mining impacts for battery metals, land use change for bioenergy crops), these must be disclosed and ideally included in a net SUI calculation. DNSH (Do No Significant Harm) compliance requires this — don't wait for an auditor to find it.

## SUI Readiness Checklist by Sector

Before claiming a SUI in any sector, confirm:

- \[ \] Outcome domain mapped to IRIS+, TNFD, or GRI indicator
- \[ \] Application event defined (trigger condition, unit boundary)
- \[ \] Counterfactual baseline identified with peer-reviewed or official source
- \[ \] Measurement protocol exists for the outcome variable at the point of application
- \[ \] Scope boundaries explicitly documented (Scope 1/2/3)
- \[ \] Uncertainty range estimated (even if rough at first)
- \[ \] Independent verifier identified (even if not yet engaged)
- \[ \] SSOT architecture planned (even if not yet built)

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*Continue to Chapter 6: [The CTH VRF Integration](#bkmrk-continue-to-chapter-) — how SUI fits into the Venture Readiness Framework.*