Biogenic Emissions
Biogenic emissions are CO₂ emissions from the combustion or decomposition of biologically derived materials — including biomass, biogas, bioethanol, biodiesel, and organic waste. They are reported separately from fossil fuel emissions under the GHG Protocol because the carbon was recently absorbed from the atmosphere by living organisms.
What is Biogenic Emissions?
Biogenic CO₂ emissions arise from burning or decomposing materials of recent biological origin — wood, crops, food waste, biogas, and biofuels. The key distinction from fossil fuel emissions is that the carbon in biogenic materials was absorbed from the atmosphere by plants during their growth (through photosynthesis), whereas fossil fuel carbon was locked underground for millions of years. Releasing biogenic carbon is considered part of the short-term carbon cycle, while releasing fossil carbon adds new carbon to the atmosphere.
Under the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, biogenic CO₂ is reported separately from scoped emissions — it does not count towards the Scope 1, 2, or 3 totals. This treatment reflects the convention that the carbon absorbed during biomass growth offsets the carbon released during combustion, resulting in a net-zero carbon cycle (in theory). However, the non-CO₂ greenhouse gases from biofuel combustion — specifically CH₄ and N₂O — are included in Scope 1 because their warming impact is independent of the carbon source.
This reporting convention is important but imperfect. The net-zero-cycle assumption depends on the biomass being sustainably sourced — i.e., the harvested trees or crops are regrown, reabsorbing the released carbon. If biomass is sourced from unsustainable deforestation, the biogenic CO₂ is effectively a net addition to the atmosphere. The GHG Protocol requires organisations to report biogenic CO₂ for transparency, even though it sits outside the scope totals.
In the UK, the DEFRA emission factor tables provide separate "biogenic" and "fossil" CO₂ factors for biofuels and biofuel blends. For example, the standard UK pump diesel is approximately 93% fossil diesel and 7% biodiesel (FAME). The DEFRA factor splits the emissions into a fossil component (reported in Scope 1) and a biogenic component (reported as an "outside of scopes" memo item). Similarly, bioethanol blended into petrol (E10) has both fossil and biogenic components.
For organisations using biomass boilers, biogas CHP systems, or large quantities of biofuels, biogenic emissions can be a significant figure that stakeholders may scrutinise. SECR requires biogenic emissions to be reported as a memo item in the Directors' Report.
Practical Examples
A biomass heating system burning wood chips produces CO₂ classified as biogenic (reported outside scopes) plus small quantities of CH₄ and N₂O classified as Scope 1 — the DEFRA factors separate these components.
A waste management company operating an anaerobic digestion facility reports the CO₂ from burning biogas as biogenic, while the CH₄ that escapes uncombusted from the digester is reported as Scope 1 fugitive emissions.
A fleet operator using B20 biodiesel blend (20% FAME, 80% fossil diesel) reports 80% of the fuel's CO₂ as Scope 1 fossil emissions and 20% as biogenic CO₂ outside of scopes, using the split DEFRA factors.
How Climatise Helps
Climatise automatically separates biogenic and fossil CO₂ when you upload data for biofuels, biomass, or blended fuels. Biogenic emissions are reported as a memo item alongside your scoped totals, ensuring SECR and GHG Protocol compliance without manual factor splitting.
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