Scope 1 Emissions: Complete Calculation Guide
Direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources your organization owns or controls.
What Are Scope 1 Emissions?
Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that occur from sources owned or controlled by your organization. This includes emissions from fuel combustion in boilers, furnaces, vehicles, and emissions from chemical production in owned or controlled process equipment.
Categories of Scope 1 Emissions
1. Stationary Combustion
Fuel burned in stationary equipment such as boilers, furnaces, turbines, and incinerators. Common fuels include natural gas, diesel, coal, propane, and biomass.
2. Mobile Combustion
Fuel burned in company-owned or controlled vehicles and equipment: fleet vehicles, construction equipment, forklifts, marine vessels, and aircraft.
3. Process Emissions
Emissions from chemical or physical processes rather than fuel combustion: cement production, steel manufacturing, chemical production, refrigerant leakage, and wastewater treatment.
Calculation Method
Emissions = Activity Data × Emission Factor
Activity Data = Quantity of fuel consumed. Emission Factor = kg CO2e per unit of fuel.
Example Calculation
A company consumes 50,000 liters of diesel annually. Using EPA factor of 2.68 kg CO2e/L:
50,000 L × 2.68 kg CO2e/L = 134 tCO2e