The French regulatory GHG assessment methodology and guidelines is called "Bilan d'Émissions de Gaz à Effet de Serre (BEGES)". The current version is the fifth one (BEGES v5). It is the French equivalent of the GHG Protocol.
❗ Descriptions below correspond to BEGES v4 guidelines.
⬇️ For the up-to-date methodology:
Scope 1 corresponds to direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
These are direct emissions from sources that are owned and/or controlled by the organisation carrying out its GHG assessment.
Scope 1 is divided into 5 categories (categories 1 to 5).
1. Direct emissions from stationary combustion sources
Emissions related to this category are caused by fuel consumption (oil, natural gas, wood, etc.) within the organisational boundary of the legal entity (i.e. the facilities it owns and/or controls).
To estimate the GHG emissions linked to this category, a monetary approach is used. Total consumption can be approximated using the organisation's energy bills. The total consumption is then multiplied by emission factors published by public bodies and agencies (e.g. IEA, EPA, UK Government, French Environment Agency, IPCC).
Accuracy can slightly be improved by directly using the total amount of energy consumed instead of the total amount paid. Nevertheless, the margin of error related to price variability is small (less than 5%, as prices do not fluctuate much).
2. Direct emissions from mobile combustion sources
Emissions related to this category are caused by fuel consumption of mobile sources (cars, heavy goods vehicles or other vehicles) owned and/or operated by the organisation.
As for category 1, emissions are computed using a monetary approach. The margin of error related to the variability of fuel prices can be eliminated by using activity-based data (consumption in L/km or MPG and the total distance travelled).
3. Direct emissions from physical or chemical processing
Emissions related to this category, specific to the industry sector, are caused by the use of gas in industrial processes (e.g. limestone processing for cement production).
These emissions are accounted for via an activity-based approach and can be automated.
4. Direct fugitive emissions
Emissions related to this category are caused by gas leaks resulting from the company's activities. For example, these include air conditioning refrigerants leaks, methane emissions caused by the decomposition of waste or nitrous oxide emissions caused by the use of fertilisers.
For most companies, especially in the tertiary sector, these emissions are mainly caused by air conditioning refrigerants leaks. These emissions are estimated by using the total air-conditioned surface area. Computations can be improved by using the total amount of refrigerants needed to recharge the AC system.
For other direct fugitive emissions, mainly in the industrial sector, gas leaks are estimated from the total amount of gas used in the process.
5. Direct emissions from LULUCF
Emissions related to this category are caused by land use change (e.g. deforestation for agricultural purposes, construction of roads, car parks and buildings).
These emissions are estimated using the total affected surface area (expressed in m2 or square feet). A more in-depth analysis and study can be carried out to improve the estimation.