What is an emission factor?

An emission factor is a number used to estimate the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that a particular activity or process emits into the atmosphere. It is a coefficient that describes the rate at which a given activity releases greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. They are also referred to as conversion factors, emission intensity and carbon intensity. It represents the average amount of emissions produced per unit of activity, such as per kilogram of fuel burned or per unit of electricity generated. They are also referred to as conversion factors, emission intensity and carbon intensity.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, an emission factor is a “representative value that attempts to relate the quantity of a pollutant released to the atmosphere with an activity associated with the release of that pollutant” In layman’s term, an emission factor describes how much Co2 would be released if one unit of the chosen activity happened.

Emission factors can vary depending on the type of fuel, the technology used, and the location of the activity. They are used as a basis for estimating the GHG emissions from a particular source, such as a factory, a fleet of vehicles, or a power plant. For small business owners, using emission factors can help to calculate the GHG emissions from their operations and identify opportunities for reducing their carbon footprint.

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In Carbonhound we define it as: 

Emission Factor 

An emission factor is a coefficient which allows us to convert activity data into GHG emissions. It is the average emission rate of a given source, relative to units of activity or process/processes.

e.g  0.00018 tonnes of c02 per passenger km