Emission Factors
The data behind every number.
Every emission figure in Climatise is powered by internationally recognised factor databases, peer-reviewed, government-published, and updated annually. Here's exactly what we use and why.
Our Factor Sources
Six databases. Full traceability.
An emission factor converts an activity (litres of diesel, kilowatt-hours of electricity, pounds of procurement spend) into a CO₂e figure. The choice of database determines accuracy, audit-readiness, and regulatory compliance. We don't guess. We use the right source for each calculation.
UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Why we use it
The UK government's official greenhouse gas conversion factors. Required for SECR, ESOS, and most UK corporate reporting. The gold standard for UK activity-based emissions. If you're reporting in the UK, DEFRA is non-negotiable.
What it covers
Scope 1 (fuels, refrigerants, vehicles), Scope 2 (UK grid electricity location-based), Scope 3 (waste, water, materials, WTT, business travel, freight).
How we apply it
Updated every June on publication. Automatically mapped to all UK activity data. Historical reports locked to the DEFRA vintage valid at the reporting period.
Association of Issuing Bodies
Why we use it
The only authoritative source for European residual electricity mix factors. Essential for accurate market-based Scope 2 reporting under the GHG Protocol. Without AIB residual mix factors, market-based reporting for European operations defaults to less accurate national averages.
What it covers
Scope 2 market-based electricity factors for 27 EU member states plus UK, Norway, Switzerland, and others.
How we apply it
Used when a client has European operations and no Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) or Guarantees of Origin (GOs) to claim. Falls back to country-level residual mix.
International Energy Agency
Why we use it
The most comprehensive country-level electricity emission factors globally. For organisations with international operations outside Europe and the US, IEA is the go-to source for location-based Scope 2 factors. Covers 100+ countries.
What it covers
Scope 2 location-based grid electricity factors for all major economies. Also provides heat and steam factors for district energy systems.
How we apply it
Default source for any country-level electricity calculation outside the UK. Paired with AIB for dual-reporting (location + market-based) where applicable.
EPA Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database
Why we use it
The US EPA's definitive source for subregional electricity factors. Far more granular than national averages, eGRID breaks the US into 26 subregions, each with distinct generation mixes. Critical for accurate US Scope 2 reporting.
What it covers
Scope 2 electricity factors for all US subregions. Includes CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O by fuel type and plant level.
How we apply it
Applied automatically when a client has US-based operations. Mapped to the correct eGRID subregion based on facility location or zip code.
Small World Consulting (Lancaster University)
Why we use it
The leading UK MRIO (Multi-Regional Input-Output) spend-based emission factor set. When you don't have activity data for Scope 3 (which is most companies starting out), spend-based factors are the GHG Protocol's recommended screening method. SWC factors are derived from Lancaster University research and mapped to UK SIC codes.
What it covers
All 15 Scope 3 categories where spend data can serve as a proxy, including Purchased Goods & Services, Capital Goods, Upstream Transport, Business Travel, and more. In Climatise, spend-based entries can be reassigned to any GHG Protocol category, giving full Scope 3 coverage from financial data alone. 100+ sector-level kgCO₂e/£ factors.
How we apply it
Mapped to client procurement spend by SIC code or Climatise's own category taxonomy. Used as the starting point for Scope 3, then progressively replaced with supplier-specific or activity-based data as it becomes available.
Ecoinvent Association
Why we use it
The world's most comprehensive life cycle inventory (LCI) database. For clients who need product-level specificity beyond spend-based estimation, such as a specific chemical compound, a particular grade of steel, or a named agricultural input. Ecoinvent provides cradle-to-gate factors for thousands of products and processes.
What it covers
Product-specific emission factors across materials, chemicals, energy, transport, agriculture, electronics, and more. 18,000+ datasets.
How we apply it
Available on request for clients with advanced Scope 3 requirements. Used to replace spend-based estimates with precise product-level factors where supplier data or bill-of-materials data is available.
Methodology
Underpinned by international standards
Our factor selection, application, and reporting methodology is built on two foundational frameworks that govern how greenhouse gas inventories should be prepared.
GHG Protocol
The GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard is the most widely used international framework for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions. It defines the classification of emissions into Scopes 1, 2, and 3, establishes the operational and equity-share consolidation approaches, and sets the rules for how emission factors should be selected and applied.
Every factor database we use is chosen because it aligns with GHG Protocol guidance: DEFRA for UK activity data, AIB for European market-based Scope 2, IEA for global location-based Scope 2, and SWC for spend-based Scope 3 screening. The Protocol's hierarchy of calculation approaches (supplier-specific, hybrid, average-data, spend-based) directly informs how we help clients mature their reporting over time.
GHG Protocol Corporate StandardISO 14064
ISO 14064-1 specifies the principles and requirements for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions at the organisation level. It provides the rigour needed for third-party verification and external assurance, increasingly required under regulations like CSRD and the UK's SECR framework.
Our methodology is designed to produce ISO 14064-compliant inventories. This means every emission factor is traceable to its published source and version, every calculation is reproducible, and every reporting boundary is explicitly defined. When your auditor asks "where does this number come from?", we can show them the factor, the database, the version year, and the calculation method in one click.
ISO 14064-1:2018How It Works
From raw data to auditable emissions
Every calculation follows the same traceable path. No black boxes.
Capture activity data
Litres of fuel, kWh of electricity, kilometres driven, pounds spent. Whatever the unit, we capture it.
Match the right factor
Climatise automatically selects the correct emission factor from the right database based on activity type, location, and reporting year.
Calculate & audit-lock
Activity × Factor = Emissions. Every result is traceable to its source factor, version, and database, ready for assurance.
Version-controlled & time-locked
Every factor is versioned. When DEFRA publishes new conversion factors each June, we update within days and your historical reports remain locked to the factors that were valid at the time. No retroactive changes. Full audit trail.
Built on the sources that matter
Six internationally recognised databases. Updated annually. Traceable to source.
6
Factor databases
100+
Countries covered
18,000+
Product-level factors
3
GHG scopes
Want to see how these factors apply to your business?
Book a demo and we'll walk through the methodology with your own data. Every factor, every source, fully transparent.
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