Emission Factor

An emission factor is a coefficient that quantifies the emissions produced per unit of activity. It converts activity data (like liters of fuel or kWh of electricity) into CO₂ equivalent emissions.

Basic Formula

Activity Data × Emission Factor = CO₂e Emissions

Example: 1,000 litres diesel × 2.68 kg CO₂e/litre = 2,680 kg CO₂e

Common Emission Factors

SourceFactorUnit
India Grid Electricity0.82kg CO₂e/kWh
Diesel2.68kg CO₂e/litre
Petrol2.31kg CO₂e/litre
Natural Gas2.02kg CO₂e/m³
Air Travel (Economy)0.255kg CO₂e/km

Key Sources

  • IPCC: International Panel on Climate Change guidelines
  • DEFRA: UK Government emission factors (annually updated)
  • EPA: US Environmental Protection Agency factors
  • CEA: Central Electricity Authority (India grid factors)

Related Terms

Auto-Apply the Right Emission Factors

ESG PULSE automatically selects region and source-appropriate factors for accurate calculations.