Emission Factor Databases

An emission factor is a numerical coefficient that specifies the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) released into the atmosphere by a particular process or product. These factors play a crucial role in measuring the greenhouse gas emissions associated with various activities, such as energy consumption, transportation, waste management, water usage, and materials purchase. For example, the UK government's emission factor database (Defra) specifies how traveling 1 kilometer in a standard taxi or how consuming one kWh of electricity corresponds to emitting x kilograms of CO2. These factors are also commonly known as conversion factors, emission intensity, and carbon intensity.

Continia Sustainability provides users with the option to create or import their own emission factors that are specifically tailored to their industry needs or provided by the company's own suppliers. Additionally, the platform includes pre-installed Emission Factor Sets sourced from government and international official sources and contains both widely used global data and country-specific information.

The following default Emission Factor Sets in Continia Sustainability are license-free and provided by official government sources:

CountryDatabaseOwnerEmission sources includedData type includedLatest versionYears included in CS
GlobalElectricVarious sourcesElectricityPhysical-2022, 2023, 2024
GlobalExiobasePrivate ConsultancyFuels, Electricity, Materials and Food, Transport, Waste, ServicesHybridEXIOBASE-v4.0-GHG-intensities_202402202023
DenmarkKlimakompasset1Business Authority and Energy AgencyEnergy, Fuels, Refrigerants, Materials and Goods, Travels and Transport, Waste, ServicesPhysical, MonetaryEmissionsfaktorark_2015-2035_2024_v.52022, 2023, 2024, 2025
EuropeAIBAssociation of Issuing BodiesElectricityPhysicalAIB_2023_Residual_Mix_FINALResults090720242022, 2023
NetherlandsCO2 Emissie FactorenMinistry of Economic Affairs and ClimateFuels, Energy, Travels and Transport, RefrigerantsPhysicalCO2emissiefactoren-2024-2015-dd-20-3-20242023, 2024
New ZealandNew Zealand summary of emission factorsGovernmentalFuels, Refrigerants, Travels and Transport, Waste, Land use change and Agriculture.PhysicalMeasuring_Emissions_Flat_EmissionFactors_20242023,
2024
New ZealandAuckland Council Consumption Emission MethodologyAuckland CouncilMaterials, Transport, ServicesMonetaryconsumption-emissions-modelling-market-economics-march-2023-dataset2023
United KingdomDefra2Governmental Department for Environment, Food & Rural AffairsFuels, Bioenergy, Electricity, Refrigerants, Vehicles, Travels and Transport, Materials and Goods, Waste and WaterPhysicalghg-conversion-factors-2024_full_set_for_advanced_users_v1_12023, 2024
United KingdomSICUK GovernmentFuels, Electricity, Water supply, Transport, Materials and Goods, ServicesMonetaryUK full dataset 1990 - 2020, including conversion factors by SIC code (last updated January 2024)2020
United StatesUS EPA Supply Chain EmissionsEnvironment Protection AgencyFuels, Energy, Materials and Goods, Transport, ServicesMonetarySupply Chain GHG Emission Factors v1.2 NAICS by GHG USD20212021
United StatesUS EPA for GHG InventoriesEnvironment Protection AgencyFuels, Energy, Transport, Waste, Travel, RefrigerantsPhysicalghg-emission-factors-hub-20242024

  1. For Klimakompasset, additional setup is required for Waste Disposal Methods, and Material Sources.
  2. For Defra, additional setup is required for Vehicle Laden Codes, Waste Disposal Methods, and Material Sources.