💭 Direct gas emissions come from the use and leakage of gases during your business operations, such as refrigerators, air conditioning units, fermentation processes, and fire extinguishers.
What Are Direct Gas Emissions?
Direct gas emissions come from the use and leakage of specific gases during business operations. These emissions are categorised as Scope 1 because they are directly produced by your business activities.
Examples include:
Refrigerant leaks: leakage of refrigerants like HFCs from cooling systems (e.g., air conditioners, chillers, freezers).
Fire safety: leakage of gases like CO₂ or N₂O from fire extinguishers, or similar equipment.
Emissions from fermentation: the release of CO₂ during brewing, winemaking, or other fermentation processes.
Methane or nitrous oxide leaks: from waste management or wastewater treatment.
Why Is It Important?
Direct gas emissions provide a window into the environmental impact of specific on-site processes, often overlooked in traditional emissions tracking.
For businesses in the food industry or those with extensive cooling, fermentation, or waste processes, these emissions can represent a significant portion of Scope 1. Reporting and tracking these emissions helps identify leaks, inefficiencies, or high-emission processes, opening pathways to reductions and cost savings.
What Data Do You Need to Provide?
To report direct gas emissions, you’ll need the following details for each site:
Source: The origin of emissions (e.g., refrigeration, fermentation, fire extinguishers).
Gas Type: there are six main gas types, the first four of these are most likely to be present in your operations:
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Hydroflourocarbons (HFCs)
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
Quantity Used/Emitted: The total amount of gas in kilograms (kg), grams (g), or metric tonnes.
Time Period: Specify whether the data covers a month, quarter, or year.
How to Source This Data
You can find the necessary data in:
Refrigerant logs: records of refrigerant usage, and recharge amounts.
Maintenance logs: notes from system servicing or leak checks.
Production logs: for gases like CO₂ emitted during fermentation.
Gas purchase records: details of gas quantities bought for business use.
Wastewater or emissions monitoring systems: for agricultural or industrial gas emissions.
Best Practices for Data Input
Categorise by source: clearly assign emissions to specific equipment or processes.
Double-check gas types: ensure the gases listed match your logs or purchase records (e.g., distinguish between CO₂ and HFCs).
Use standard units: input quantities in kilograms to maintain consistency.
Break data into time periods: for large datasets, submit emissions data monthly or quarterly for better review and accuracy.
Verify completeness: ensure all equipment and sites are accounted for to avoid underreporting.
Example Dataset
Site | Source | Gas | Quantity (kg) | Time Period |
Brewery | On-site residues treatment | CO₂ | 150 | Q1 2023 |
HQ | Refrigeration | HFC-134a | 5.2 | January 2023 |
Distribution | Fire extinguishers | CO₂ | 1.5 | 2023 |
FAQ
Q: What if I don’t know the exact amount of gas emitted?
A: Use estimates based on maintenance logs or refrigerant purchase records. Just make a note of this for future improvements.
Q: What if I can’t find all the data?
A: Start with what you have and reach out to your facilities or operations team for missing details. Consider developing an internal plan to systematise direct (fugitive) emissions for future data collection.