Emission factors

Emission factors are used to estimate the amount of CO₂ emitted by an activity. These values can be found in various databases provided by governments such as DBEIS, ProBAS and EPA or by private providers such as ecoinvent.

Emission factors indicate how much greenhouse gas is released through the consumption of a specific energy source. Consumption data is multiplied by specific factors based on the carbon content and calorific value.Due to their direct influence on carbon accounting, emission factors play a decisive role in how well companies meet regulatory requirements and implement their decarbonization measures.

The following is an excerpt of the available databases we offer at Tanso:

• DBEIS: a UK-based database of emission factors that provides emission factors for a CCF
• Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB): Emission factors for electricity
• BAFA: a German database that provides emission factors for a CCF
• IDEMAT: is a compilation of LCI data from the Sustainable Impact Metrics Foundation, SIMF, a non-profit spin-off of Delft University of Technology
• Ökobaudat: is a database for emission factors based in Germany
• GLEC: led by the Smart Freight Centre and is a group of companies, associations and programs supported by leading experts and is one of the best databases for logistics EFs.
• Exiobase PxP: is a global, detailed multi-regional database of emission factors developed for a large number of countries, estimating emissions and resource removals by industry.
• EPDs: EPDs or Environmental Product Declarations are life cycle assessments that are prepared by various companies for their products.
• Mobitool: a Swiss-based database of emission factors that provides factors for different types of passenger transportation
• Tanso: The emission factors are calculated internally and referred to as “Tanso” emission factors. Several official external sources are combined to calculate these emission factors.