Emission factor library sources, governance and updates

Position Green’s Emission Factor Library (EFL) is built on internationally recognised government, industry and life cycle assessment (LCA) data sources. The library supports Scope 1, 2 and 3 reporting and enables activity-based and spend-based calculations. The platform also supports supplier-specific and other custom emission factors.

The Emission Factor Library is designed to provide:

• Credibility through authoritative data sources.
• Global coverage across sectors and geographies.
• Structured version control and update governance.
• Transparent communication of material changes.

Emission factor source types

The Emission Factor Library uses internationally recognised source categories. The examples below are representative and do not include every dataset used in the library.

Government and national authorities

Examples include:

1. DEFRA (UK Government)
2. EPA (United States)
3. Energimyndigheten (Sweden)
4. NVE (Norway)
5. CO2emissiefactoren (the Netherlands and Belgium)

These sources are commonly used for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emission factors, as well as selected Scope 3 categories.

International agencies

Examples include:

• International Energy Agency (IEA)
• European Environment Agency (EEA)

Life cycle assessment databases

Examples include:

• ecoinvent (licensed database)
• RISE climate database (requires a separate customer licence where applicable)
• vegLCA (Norway)

Life cycle assessment databases provide detailed activity-based emission factors for specific materials, fuels and processes.

Industry and sector-specific sources

Examples include:

• AIB, for European residual mix electricity factors
• NTM, for transport factors
• Energiföretagen, for district heating in Sweden
• Fjernkontrollen, for district heating in Norway
• Green-e and eGRID, for electricity factors in the United States
• Drivkraft Sverige, for fuel data
• BAFA, for Germany
• Greenview Hotel Footprinting Tool (HFT), for hotel accommodation emission factors
• HowGood, for agricultural, food and FLAG-related emission factors

These datasets improve sector-specific accuracy and regional granularity.

Calculated and derived emission factors

The Emission Factor Library includes calculated and derived emission factors where no directly applicable emission factor exists, or where customer reporting requires country-specific calculations.

These factors are developed using documented methodologies, official source data and applicable regulatory requirements.

Examples include average diesel and petrol biofuel blends calculated from national biofuel mandates for Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The library also supports mileage-based greenhouse gas calculations for electric vehicles across all European countries, the United States, China and selected additional countries. In total, this covers more than 40 countries.

Calculated factors follow the same governance framework as externally sourced emission factors. This includes review, documentation, version control and periodic updates.

All calculated factors are traceable to approved source data, documented assumptions and a defined calculation methodology. This supports transparency, consistency and auditability.

Spend-based modelling with EE-MRIO databases

Position Green has a proprietary EE-MRIO data model that enables broad estimates of climate impact from purchases.

The data model was developed at SINTEF, one of Europe’s largest research institutes.

Read more about the EE-MRIO data model here: EE-MRIO data model.

Update governance and version control

Emission factor updates are implemented in alignment with reporting cycles to provide stability and predictability.

Sources are monitored continuously and reviewed when new releases are published. Implementation may occur later in the year to allow for quality assurance, impact assessment and structured release management.

Position Green follows a structured process for reviewing and updating emission factors.

Review cycle

• Monitor sources for new releases.
• Update most major databases annually.
• Review methodology documentation when a new release is published to assess structural or methodological changes.

Data transformation, controls and quality assurance

Emission factor updates follow a structured control process before implementation.

• Transform and map updated datasets to the Position Green Emission Factor Library structure, including predefined unit conversions where required.
• Perform controlled expert review to ensure correct source data selection and contextual understanding.
• Apply the four-eyes principle, where at least two experts independently verify accuracy, consistency and alignment with source methodology.
• Perform impact assessment where relevant, including sensitivity analysis to understand potential material effects before release.
• Document key methodological and structural changes to maintain traceability and audit readiness.

Platform implementation

• Version-control updates.
• Document structural changes, such as classification updates.
• Review major database upgrades for methodological or structural changes before implementation in the platform.

Communication

Emission factor updates are documented in product release notes.

Updated emission factors in the platform

When emission factors are updated, the platform automatically recommends the new emission factors for the corresponding reporting period.

If updated emission factors become available after a reporting period has started, the platform notifies users where updated emission factors should be considered.

Emission factors that are manually added or externally sourced by customers are not automatically updated. Customers are responsible for obtaining updated values for these factors.

Contact a Position Green Customer Success Manager for support with assessing the impact of emission factor updates or implementing updated values.

Transparency and further details

Position Green is committed to transparency in emission factor governance. Detailed annual updates and list-level change logs are available through release documentation.

Contact a Customer Success Manager for questions about specific emission factors, source versions or update implications.