Carbon accounting can be time-consuming, especially when you're manually sourcing emission factors. Whether you're building out a Scope 3 profile or just trying to get a basic footprint, finding the right data by geography, activity, or year can quickly turn into a research project. While Avarni automates this process for our users, we also want to support those still working with spreadsheets. That’s why we created a Free Emission Factor Database Guide — a curated list of global CO₂ and GHG emission factor databases to help you find what you need, faster.
Why emission factors matter
Emission factors are the backbone of carbon accounting. They translate everyday activities like purchasing office supplies, manufacturing goods, or booking business travel into measurable greenhouse gas emissions. The accuracy and integrity of your emissions data depend on using the right emission factor for each activity. But choosing the right one isn't always straightforward.
Geography, reporting year, and the specific business activity all influence which emission factor is appropriate. Some databases offer high-resolution, activity-specific data. Others provide broader, national-level averages. Some are updated annually, while others may lag by several years. And navigating all of these sources without guidance can be a huge time sink.
What’s included in the guide
The Free Emission Factor Database Guide brings together 16 public databases commonly used by sustainability analysts. For each one, we’ve included the name of the database, the publishing organisation, geographic relevance, and a direct link so you can jump straight to the source. It also notes whether the database is general-purpose or specialised, for instance, sector-specific or focused on a particular region, making it easier to filter based on your needs.
Whether you're working toward ASRS / AASB S2 compliance, preparing a CDP submission, or aligning with GHG Protocol standards, this guide helps you cut down on research time and improve the quality of your data.
Who this guide is for
This resource is designed for anyone manually calculating emissions, especially those still relying on Excel or legacy tools. If you're spending hours combing through PDFs or government websites to find usable data, this guide will save you time and frustration.
Consultants, in-house sustainability teams, ESG analysts, and finance professionals working on climate disclosures will all benefit from having these resources centralised in one place. Even if you’ve already got a few go-to databases, this guide may help you discover more regionally appropriate or updated data sources.
Get started now — then scale with Avarni
The fastest way to apply emission factors accurately is through automation. Avarni users don’t need to manually search for data — our platform automatically maps spend and activity data to the most relevant emission factors, using a curated set of global, quality-checked databases. This covers Scope 3 categories like purchased goods and services, capital goods, transport, and more.
We know not every organisation is ready to move to a platform. That’s why we’ve made this guide free and accessible, supporting better emissions data practices no matter where you are on your decarbonisation journey. Whether you're building your first emissions inventory or refining an existing one, the Free Emission Factor Database Guide will save you time and improve data quality.
