Scope 1 Emissions

Scope 1 emissions are the direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions an organisation produces from sources it owns or controls, such as fuel combustion in vehicles, boilers or machinery. They are the most tangible and directly attributable part of a company's carbon footprint and the first category defined by the GHG Protocol, alongside Scope 2 and Scope 3.

Why Scope 1 emissions matter

Understanding and managing Scope 1 emissions is essential for any organisation that wants to reduce its impact and contribute to climate action. This scope is the foundation of an effective decarbonisation strategy, as it pinpoints the emission sources a company controls directly and can act on first.

Accurate Scope 1 measurement provides valuable insight to:

• Identify improvement opportunities: analysing direct sources lets organisations optimise processes, improve energy efficiency and cut fossil fuel use.
• Comply with regulations: governments and international bodies increasingly require GHG reporting. Measuring Scope 1 emissions helps meet those requirements and avoid penalties.
• Strengthen corporate reputation: transparency in carbon management builds trust with customers, investors and other stakeholders.

Sources of Scope 1 emissions

Scope 1 emissions come from different sources depending on the organisation's sector and activities. Common sources include:

• Stationary combustion: burning fossil fuels in boilers, furnaces and generators for energy, heating or industrial processes.
• Mobile combustion: emissions from vehicles owned or controlled by the organisation, such as cars, trucks, vans, ships and planes.
• Industrial processes: emissions released during specific processes, such as cement, steel or chemical production.
• Fugitive emissions: leaks of greenhouse gases from equipment and systems, such as refrigerants in air conditioning or methane from natural gas networks.

Examples by sector:

• Manufacturing: natural gas burned in furnaces for steel production.
• Transport: CO₂ from a logistics company's own truck fleet.
• Energy: emissions from a coal-fired power plant.
• Commercial buildings: a natural gas boiler heating an office.

How to calculate Scope 1 emissions

Scope 1 emissions are calculated following the GHG Protocol, the most widely recognised international standard. It provides accounting guidance and emission factors for different fuels and processes. The usual steps are:

1. Identify emission sources: build a complete inventory of all direct sources.
2. Collect activity data: gather data on fuel consumption, energy production and other relevant activities for each source.
3. Apply emission factors: convert activity data into GHG emissions, using global warming potential values from the IPCC to express the result in CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e).
4. Calculate total emissions: add up the emissions from all sources.

Where biomass or biofuels are burned, the GHG Protocol asks that biogenic CO₂ emissions be reported separately from fossil emissions, since the two are accounted for differently.

Managing and reducing Scope 1 emissions

Once Scope 1 emissions are identified and quantified, organisations can act to reduce them:

• Improve energy efficiency: adopt technologies and practices that optimise energy use in buildings, processes and transport.
• Switch to renewable energy: replace fossil fuels with sources such as solar, wind or sustainable biomass.
• Optimise fleets: move to fuel-efficient or electric vehicles and promote alternative transport.
• Preventive maintenance: service equipment regularly to prevent leaks and keep performance high.

At Manglai we help companies measure their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and prepare their sustainability reporting. Discover how Manglai can help you.