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 Sub-sector Application Event SUI Name Unit Key Baseline Challenge Bio-inputs / Biostimulants 1 kg product applied per hectare Chemical Displacement per Hectare kg CO₂e / ha Regional synthetic input averages vary widely; disaggregate by crop and region Precision irrigation 1 irrigation event per hectare Water Saved per Irrigation Event m³ water / ha Counterfactual irrigation volume from regional water authority statistics Food waste reduction 1 kg food waste diverted from landfill Landfill Diversion per kg kg CO₂e / kg food National landfill emission factors from EPA/environment ministry Regenerative agriculture platform 1 hectare enrolled and verified per season Soil Carbon per Hectare tCO₂e / ha / year Requires soil sampling; LCA scope 3 often controversial — document boundary carefully Energy and Mobility Sub-sector Application Event SUI Name Unit Key Baseline Challenge EV Charging 1 kWh delivered through managed charger kWh Delivered per Session kg CO₂e avoided / kWh Grid emission factor must be updated as grid decarbonises — a diminishing SUI over time Distributed solar (C&I) 1 kWh generated by installed system Clean kWh Generated per Month kg CO₂e / kWh Grid displacement assumes system substitutes grid power, not additional consumption Electric two-wheelers (fleet) 1 km driven by fleet vehicle Clean km per Vehicle kg CO₂e / km Fleet average ICE equivalent; leakage if displaced drivers switch to ICE alternatives Energy efficiency (buildings) 1 month of occupancy in certified efficient building Energy Intensity Reduction per m² kWh / m² / month Baseline energy intensity from building energy audit; weather-normalisation required Water and Sanitation Sub-sector Application Event SUI Name Unit Key Baseline Challenge Water purification (household) 1 litre purified and delivered Safe Water per Litre DALY avoided / 1000 litres WHO DALY factors for waterborne disease; counterfactual water source quality data Industrial water recycling 1 m³ water recycled vs. discharged Water Recycled per m³ m³ freshwater saved Industrial water withdrawal baseline from watershed authority Wastewater treatment 1 m³ wastewater treated to standard Pollution Load Removed per m³ kg BOD removed / m³ Effluent quality standard (discharge permit defines counterfactual) Circular Economy and Waste Sub-sector Application Event SUI Name Unit Key Baseline Challenge Plastic recycling 1 kg plastic collected and processed Plastic Diverted per kg kg CO₂e / kg plastic Emission factor depends on plastic type and alternative disposal method Electronics refurbishment 1 device refurbished and resold Device Life Extension kg CO₂e / device Avoided manufacturing emissions require LCA of new device equivalent Industrial symbiosis platform 1 kg waste matched between producer and consumer Waste-to-Resource Match per kg kg CO₂e / kg material Complex: must account for transport emissions of rerouted material Biodiversity and Land Use Sub-sector Application Event SUI Name Unit Key Baseline Challenge Forest conservation (REDD+) 1 ha protected for 1 year Deforestation Avoided per Hectare tCO₂e / ha / year FREL (Forest Reference Emission Level) required; jurisdictional baseline complex Ecosystem restoration 1 ha restored to target condition Biodiversity Units Restored per Hectare BNG units / ha (UK metric) or equivalent Baseline habitat condition assessment; TNFD metrics preferred Sustainable aquaculture 1 tonne of certified product harvested Wild Fish Substitution per Tonne tonne wild harvest avoided / tonne farmed Feed conversion ratio and wild fish equivalent calculation required Five Cross-Sector Principles 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. 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. 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. 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. 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) Continue to Chapter 6: The CTH VRF Integration — how SUI fits into the Venture Readiness Framework.