Measure, Understand, and Reduce your GHG Emissions

• personal gasoline or diesel vehicles
• ride-sharing and carpools in non-electric vehicles
• public transit (buses, trains, subways) if not electric
• company-sponsored shuttles (if not owned by the company)
• taxis and rideshare services (e.g., Uber, Lyft, traditional cabs)
• gasoline-powered motorcycles and scooters
• air travel for regular commuting
• ferries and water transport

Data sources:

• employee surveys for travel modes, distance to work, frequency of commuting
• HR/payroll records for employee headcount, work schedules, office location
• public transport authorities for emission factors for buses, trains, subways

Details to gather:

• type of transport (car, bus, rail, taxi, rideshare, motorcycle, ferry, plane)
• distance traveled (km/mi) and frequency (days per week, per year)
• vehicle fuel type (gasoline, diesel, hybrid)
• carpool or rideshare occupancy

Examples include emissions from:

• airplane flights taken by employees for business purposes
• train journeys for business trips
• bus rides taken for business-related activities
• rental cars or employee-owned vehicles used for business travel (excluding commuting to and from work)
• energy use in hotels where employees stay during business trips

Data sources:

• travel agency or booking system records for flights, hotels, trains, rental cars
• employee expense reports for reimbursed trips
• airline, hotel, rental car receipts for dates, distances, duration
• travel agency dashboards displaying GHG emissions data

Details to gather:

• trip type (air, rail, bus, rental car, employee vehicle)
• distance traveled and class of service (economy, business, first class)
• fuel type/vehicle model for rental cars
• hotel nights (location, star rating (if available) for energy use intensity)

• the manufacturing processes of materials like plastic, cardboard, glass, and metal used for packaging
• transporting packaging materials from suppliers to the company
• the disposal of packaging materials, whether they end up in landfills, are incinerated, or are recycled
• the processes involved in recycling or disposing of packaging materials after the product has been used

Data sources:

• procurement records for quantities purchased, supplier invoices
• supplier data such as life cycle assessments (LCAs) and environmental product declarations (EPDs)
• waste contractor reports for end-of-life disposal method

Details to gather:

• material type (plastic, cardboard, glass, aluminum)
• weight/volume purchased and used
• transportation distance from supplier
• disposal pathway (landfill, incineration, recycling)

Examples include emissions from/associated with:

• the extraction, production, and transportation of raw materials like metals, plastics, and textiles
• the production and delivery of items such as paper, pens, and computers
• services like consulting, legal, and accounting services, which include the energy use and travel of service providers
• the production, processing, and transportation of food and beverages purchased for company cafeterias or events
• the activities and materials used by third-party maintenance and repair services
• the energy consumption and infrastructure used by IT service providers, including cloud computing services

Data sources:

• procurement records for a list of products/services purchased
• supplier reports for emissions associated with products, such as life cycle assessments (LCAs) and environmental product declarations (EPDs)
• emission factor databases

Details to gather:

• material/product type, weight, and volume.
• production processes (if supplier data is available)
• service activities (e.g., consulting travel, IT energy use)
• supplier location (to estimate transportation emissions)

Examples include emissions from:

• the manufacturing of materials such as cement, steel, bricks, and glass
• transporting construction materials from suppliers to the construction site
• the use of construction equipment and machinery, including fuel consumption and maintenance
• energy consumption for heating, cooling, and lighting during the construction process
• the disposal of construction waste, including landfill emissions and recycling processes
• the demolition of buildings and the disposal or recycling of demolition waste

Data sources:

• capital project budgets and bills of quantities
• contractor/supplier records for materials and fuel
• equipment fuel logs and rental invoices
• waste contractor records for demolition/debris

Details to gather:

• material types and quantities (cement, steel, glass, bricks)
• transportation of materials to site (distance, mode)
• fuel use by construction machinery (liters of diesel, hours of operation)
• temporary energy consumption (electricity/gas used onsite)
• disposal method for construction/demolition waste

• the production of office supplies and their packaging
• transporting office supplies from the seller to the reporting company
• transporting used office supplies to recycling or disposal facilities
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released during printing
• recycling, landfilling, and incinerating used office supplies

Data sources:

• procurement/purchasing records for paper, ink, equipment
• supplier data (environmental product declarations (EPDs), product specs)
• waste management contractor logs

Details to gather:

• quantities purchased by type (reams of paper, ink cartridges, pens)
• weight and material composition
• VOC content for inks/toners
• disposal method (recycling, landfill, incineration)

Types of grid losses

• Transmission losses – electricity travels long distances through high-voltage power lines, where some energy is lost as heat due to electrical resistance
• Distribution losses – once electricity reaches lower-voltage distribution lines, more energy is lost in transformers, wires, and connections before reaching businesses or homes

Data sources:

• utility providers for transmission and distribution loss factors for regional grids
• International Energy Agency or US Environmental Protection Agency statistics on average grid losses

Details to gather:

• total electricity purchased (kWh)
• regional grid emission factor for losses (gCO₂e per kWh lost)
• percentage of electricity lost in transmission vs. distribution

Examples include emissions from:

• the manufacturing processes of the chemicals and materials used in cleaning products
• transporting cleaning products from the manufacturer to the company and then to the end user
• the energy and resources used during the application of cleaning products, such as water and electricity
• the disposal of cleaning product containers and any residual chemicals, including landfill or recycling processes

Data sources:

• procurement records for type/volume of cleaning agents purchased
• supplier data (safety data sheets, product specs)
• waste contractor reports for container disposal

Details to gather:

• chemical type and formulation (detergent, disinfectant, solvent)
• volume purchased and used
• transport distance from supplier
• disposal method for empty containers and residues

• transporting raw materials or components from suppliers to the company’s manufacturing facilities
• transporting finished products from the company’s facilities to distribution centers, retailers, or customers
• logistics providers that handle warehousing, transportation, and distribution on behalf of the company
• using multiple modes of transportation, such as combining truck, rail, and ship, to move supplies
• the final leg of the delivery process, where products are transported from a distribution center to the end customer

Data sources:

• freight invoices/logistics contracts
• carrier fuel use data, bills of lading
• supply chain/ERP system data on shipments

Details to gather:

• mode of transport (truck, rail, ship, air)
• distance traveled and route taken
• shipment weight or volume
• fuel type used by carrier

Examples include:

• fast food chains, grocery stores, and meat processors reporting emissions from cattle, sheep, and goats in their supply chains
• companies producing packaged foods reporting emissions from fertilizer use in growing grains, fruits, and vegetables
• chocolate, coffee, and palm oil companies reporting emissions from deforestation linked to crop production
• clothing brands tracking emissions from cotton farming, including emissions from fertilizers, irrigation, and diesel-powered equipment
• fashion brands using wool or leather reporting emissions from sheep and cattle in their supply chains
• ethanol and biodiesel producers tracking emissions from growing biofuel feedstocks like corn and soy
• renewable natural gas companies accounting for methane from manure management in livestock operations
• cosmetic brands using honey or beeswax reporting emissions from beekeeping operations

Data sources:

• supplier farm-level data for fertilizer use, animal numbers, yields
• commodity sourcing records for amounts of crops or livestock products purchased
• NGO/government datasets (FAO, IPCC) for emission factors

Details to gather:

• type of crop/livestock
• fertilizer and pesticide use
• land use change/deforestation data
• water use, energy inputs, machinery fuel use

• producing, transporting, and installing hardware used in data centres owned or directly controlled by the reporting company

• producing, transporting, and installing server hardware used by the third-party hosting provider
• electricity consumed by third-party data centres 
• disposing of servers and IT infrastructure at third-party data centres
• employee travel and logistics associated with maintaining servers and IT infrastructure at third-party data centres

Data sources:

• contracts with cloud/hosting providers (AWS, Microsoft Azure, etc.)
• provider sustainability reports (PUE, energy mix, emissions disclosures)
• hardware procurement/disposal records for servers

Details to gather:

• electricity consumed (kWh) by hosted services
• energy efficiency metrics (Power Usage Effectiveness, cooling loads)
• provider’s grid mix (renewable vs. fossil-based)
• hardware lifespan and end-of-life disposal
• travel/transport related to IT servicing (where available)

• processes such as incineration, composting, and anaerobic digestion used to treat waste
• the decomposition of organic waste in landfills, which can produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas
• the treatment of wastewater generated by the company’s operations

Data sources:

• waste management contractor reports for waste streams handled
• internal waste logs (e.g., facility recycling programs)
• emission factors for treatment methods

Details to gather:

• waste type (organic, plastics, metals, hazardous, wastewater)
• volume/weight of each waste stream
• treatment method (landfill, incineration, composting, anaerobic digestion)

Data sources:

• Sales data for total units sold and product weights/materials
• National waste statistics for percentage landfilled, incinerated, and recycled
• Emission factors for disposal pathway emissions

Details to gather:

• Product material composition
• Packaging vs. product waste separation
• Typical disposal practices by region