Free tool

Scope 1, 2 & 3 Emissions Calculator

Get a quick, honest first estimate of your carbon footprint by scope. Enter a few common activity lines and we'll convert them to an indicative tCO2e total, a screening first step toward the greenhouse-gas inventory behind ESRS E1.

Indicative only, not audit-grade

This calculator uses rough default emission factors to give you a first-pass estimate of your carbon footprint. It is not a substitute for a proper greenhouse-gas inventory. A CSRD-grade E1 disclosure needs dated, source-specific factors (DEFRA, IEA, EPA, EXIOBASE), documented boundaries, and Scope 2 reported both location-based and market-based. Treat these numbers as a screening estimate, not a reportable figure.
Scope 1 - direct emissions

Fuel you burn in sources you own or control: gas for heating, diesel and petrol in company vehicles.

kWh / year

Roughly 0.18 kg CO2e per kWh of natural gas.

litres / year

Roughly 2.5 kg CO2e per litre of diesel.

litres / year

Roughly 2.3 kg CO2e per litre of petrol.

Scope 2 - purchased energy

Electricity, heat and steam you buy and consume. ESRS E1 asks for both a location-based and a market-based figure; this estimate is location-based (grid average).

kWh / year

Around 0.30 kg CO2e per kWh on an illustrative EU grid average. Your real grid factor varies a lot by country.

kWh / year

Around 0.17 kg CO2e per kWh for district heat.

Scope 3 - value-chain emissions

All other indirect emissions, up and down your value chain. This is usually the largest share (often 70 to 90 percent). Below are a few common categories using rough spend- and activity-based factors.

EUR spend / year

Spend-based: roughly 0.4 kg CO2e per EUR of general procurement spend. Highly sector-dependent.

passenger-km / year

Roughly 0.18 kg CO2e per air passenger-km.

car-km / year

Roughly 0.17 kg CO2e per car-km commuted.

tonne-km / year

Roughly 0.11 kg CO2e per tonne-km by HGV.

Your indicative footprint

0 tCO2e / year

Scope 1
0 tCO2e
Scope 2
0 tCO2e
Scope 3
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The CSRD Brief

Get the full GHG-inventory workbook and factor library

Enter your email to download the workbook instantly: an Excel GHG-inventory template with scope tabs, the 15 Scope 3 categories, an auto-calculating summary and a starter factor library. You will also join The CSRD Brief so you hear when ESRS E1 and the factor guidance change. Unsubscribe in one click.

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Scope 1, 2 and 3 explainedThe GHG ProtocolESRS E1 Climate

This is a screening estimate to help you orient, not a reportable figure or legal advice. Confirm against the GHG Protocol and dated emission factors, or with a qualified adviser.

The short version

How emissions accounting works

Every footprint splits into three scopes, and every line follows the same simple formula. Here is the picture in plain English.

TL;DR

A carbon footprint is split into Scope 1 (direct), Scope 2 (purchased energy) and Scope 3 (everything else in the value chain). You calculate each line as activity data times an emission factor, summed into tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Scope 3 is usually the biggest share. ESRS E1-6 requires all three, with Scope 2 reported both location-based and market-based.

The formula: activity data times emission factor

Every line in a greenhouse-gas inventory follows one rule: emissions = activity data x emission factor. Multiply how much you did (litres of fuel, kWh of electricity, EUR of spend, passenger-km flown) by a factor that converts it to tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The quality of your factors decides the quality of your numbers, which is why a real inventory uses dated, source-specific factors rather than the rough defaults in this tool. GHG Protocol Corporate Standard

Scope 3 is usually the largest part

Scope 3 covers all other indirect emissions across your value chain, organised into 15 categories (8 upstream, 7 downstream): purchased goods and services, capital goods, business travel, employee commuting, transport and distribution, use of sold products, investments and more. For most organisations Scope 3 is 70 to 90 percent of the total once fully measured, so a footprint that looks small on Scope 3 usually just has gaps. GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard

Scope 2: location-based and market-based

For purchased electricity you report two figures. Location-based uses the average grid factor for your region; market-based reflects the electricity you contractually buy through power purchase agreements, renewable certificates or green tariffs. ESRS E1-6 requires both. This calculator shows an indicative location-based estimate only. EFRAG, ESRS E1

A screening estimate, not a reportable figure

The default factors here are rough mid-2020s ballparks, not the dated, source-specific factors a CSRD-grade inventory needs. Use this to scope the size of the problem and spot which scope dominates, then build a proper inventory with documented boundaries and credible factors. We track ESRS E1 and factor guidance in The CSRD Brief.

Emissions questions people ask

What is the difference between Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions?

Scope 1 is direct emissions from sources you own or control, such as fuel burned in boilers and company vehicles. Scope 2 is indirect emissions from the energy you purchase and consume, mainly electricity, heat and steam. Scope 3 is all other indirect emissions across your value chain, both upstream and downstream, split into 15 categories and typically the largest share of the total.

How are emissions calculated?

The basic formula is emissions = activity data x emission factor. You multiply each activity (litres of fuel, kWh of electricity, EUR of spend, passenger-km) by an appropriate emission factor to get a result in tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e). Credible factor sources include DEFRA, IEA, EPA, IPCC and EXIOBASE for spend-based Scope 3.

What is location-based vs market-based Scope 2?

Location-based Scope 2 uses the average emission factor of the local grid, reflecting the physical electricity mix. Market-based Scope 2 reflects the electricity you contractually buy (power purchase agreements, renewable certificates, green tariffs, supplier-specific factors). The GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance and ESRS E1-6 require both to be reported. This calculator gives an indicative location-based figure only.

Is this calculator good enough for CSRD reporting?

No. This is an indicative screening estimate using rough default factors. A CSRD-grade ESRS E1 disclosure needs a proper greenhouse-gas inventory: documented organisational and operational boundaries, dated source-specific emission factors, all 15 Scope 3 categories assessed for relevance, Scope 2 reported both location-based and market-based, and the whole statement subject to limited assurance.

This is an indicative estimate to help you orient, not a reportable figure or legal advice. Confirm against the GHG Protocol and dated emission factors, or a qualified adviser.

Sources

  1. [1]GHG Protocol, Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standardretrieved 8 Jun 2026
  2. [2]GHG Protocol, Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standardretrieved 8 Jun 2026
  3. [3]EFRAG, ESRS E1 Climate changeretrieved 8 Jun 2026