Where are emission factors coming from?
For carbon accounting to be as accurate as possible it is necessary to have a broad amount of data. There are many different databases and sources from organizations and governments which have gone through the effort of collecting data relevant to emission assessment and carbon accounting.
Below you can find a list of some of the most relevant databases that are used at Cozero. Because the amount of data to be considered in carbon accounting is so vast, most databases set a specific scope (e.g. a specific industry/ part of the value chain) when gathering data. This makes the data more accurate and the database itself more precise. Similarly, the Lifecycle Scope sets boundaries in the assessment of the emission factors itself. The impact can be assessed e.g. from the extraction of natural resources to the point where the product is finished and before it is distributed (cradle-to-gate) or even further, to the disposal of the product (cradle-to-grave). If you want to learn more about different types of Lifecycle Scopes read the Wiki article on it here. The Cozero categories give insight into what kind of emissions the database looks at following our categorization.
Sources
Name & Description | Scope of database | Lifecycle Scope | Cozero category | Provider & Link |
BEIS/DEFRA
Emission conversion factors for use by UK and international organizations to report on 2022 greenhouse gas emissions. | Reporting of UK operations, relevant to emission reporting, Scope 1-3 emissions with the primary being: Energy use, water consumption, waste disposal, recycling and transport activities. | Cradle-to-grave Cradle-to-gate Well-to-tank Fuel combustion Electricity generation End-of-life | Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3 | gov.uk
|
GLEC
Globally recognized methodology for harmonized calculation and reporting of the logistics GHG footprint across the multi-modal supply chain. | Logistics + transportation emissions
Full well-to-wheel emissions (WTW), and breakdown of well-to-tank (WTT) and tank-to-wheel (TTW)
| Cradle-to-grave
| Scope 1 Scope 3.4 Scope 3.9 | Smart Freight Centre
|
Bilan Carbone
A public database of emission factors, necessary for carrying out a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions report and more generally for any carbon accounting exercise.
| Main: Energy Carriers and Technologies; Transport Services; Materials Production | Cradle-to-grave | Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3.1 Scope 3.4 Scope 3.9 Scope 3.11
| Agence de l’Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’Energie (ADEME)
|
GEMIS
Life-cycle analysis program and database | Energy, Material, Transportation | Cradle-to-grave | Scope 2 Scope 3.1 Scope 3.3 Scope 3.4 Scope 3.9 Scope 3.11 | IINAS
|
EXIOBASE
Global, detailed Multi-Regional Environmentally Extended Supply-Use Table (MR-SUT) and Input-Output Table (MR-IOT). The data used in Cozero is based on CO2/monetary spend | By industry | Cradle-to-grave, partly cradle-to-cradle |
| Exiobase consortium
|
GHG Protocol
Supplies the world's most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standards. | Electricity, Transport | Cradle-to-grave, if not possible cradle-to-gate
| Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3.3 Scope 3.4 Scope 3.9
| GHG protocol
|
The Higg Index
A suite of tools for the standardized measurement of value chain sustainability. | Fashion/ Textile industry (apparel and footwear) | Cradle-to-gate | Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3.1 | Sustainable Apparel Coalition
|
Probas
Public library for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data. | Energy, Materials & Production, Transport, Disposal, | Cradle-to-grave | Scope 1 Scope 3.1 Scope 3.4 Scope 3.5 Scope 3.9 Scope 3.11 Scope 3.12 | Umweltbundesamt, IINAS
|
IPCC Emissions Factor Database
Library of emission factors and other parameters with background documentation or technical references | Energy, Technology | Cradle-to-grave | Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3.3 Scope 3.11
| Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
|