What is an Emission intensity database? A thorough explanation of the types, how to use it, and the benefits of introducing it
What is the Emission intensity database?
Calculation method for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission amount using Emission intensity(Emission factor )
An Emission intensity is an indicator that shows the emission amount per specific amount of activity (e.g., electricity consumption, transport distance, waste volume, etc.). * 1) For example, this would be the CO2 emission amount associated with the use of 1 kWh of electricity or the emission amount per 1 ton-kilometer of transport. The formula for calculating emission amount is as follows:
emission amount (tCO₂e) = activity amount x Emission intensity* 1)
"tCO₂e" stands for "ton of CO₂ equivalent" and is a unit used to convert GHGs such as methane and nitrous oxide into CO₂. * 1)
Using this calculation method, companies can get a concrete understanding of their greenhouse gas emission amount and accurately calculate their Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emission amount in accordance with the GHG Protocol.
Definition of the Emission intensity(Emission factor) database
The Emission intensity database is a database that systematically compiles Emission intensity ( emission amount per unit of activity ) required to calculate greenhouse gas (GHG) emission amount , including CO2. * 2 ) This database compiles CO2 Emission intensity for various activity and Service , and is useful for calculating emission amount across the entire supply chain and visualizing environmental impact. It serves as a foundation for companies and local governments to quantitatively evaluate their own greenhouse gas emission amount and promote decarbonization management, including formulating reduction plans. * 2)
How to use the Emission intensity database
Calculation and visualization methods for Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3
When each company determines emission amount , it must classify them into 3 scopes: Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 , and calculate the data. * 2 ) When doing so, it will be easier to calculate if you clarify which Intensity applies to which activity . The scope classifications that comply with the GHG Protocol are as follows, and the Ministry of the Environment has published a database that is recommended for use * 2) :
Scope 1(direct emissions from the company)
subject: Direct emissions from fuel use and factory processes (excluding transportation)
Domestic reference data
[SHK] Global Warming Countermeasure Calculation, Reporting and Disclosure System (Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) * 4
[IDEA Database] (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Industry and Technology) * 5)
[J-LCA] (LCA Japan Forum) *Only activity not covered by SHK * 6
Overseas reference data
Local systems and guidelines
- When it is difficult to collect local information, the IPCC guidelines * 7) or Japanese coefficients are often used.
Scope 2(indirect emissions from purchased electricity and heat)
subject: Use of electricity and heat purchased by the company
Domestic reference data
[SHK] Global Warming Countermeasure Calculation, Reporting and Disclosure System (Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) * 4
Overseas reference data
Local systems and guidelines
If this is difficult, use country-specific data from the IEA * 7) or IGES * 8).
Scope 3(indirect emissions, including supply chain)
Scope 3 covers indirect emission amount, including those from business partners and the entire supply chain. Data collection is the most complex, and the method of selecting data varies depending on the Category. Scope 3 covers all indirect emissions other than Scope 1 and Scope 2, including other indirect emissions along the value chain, such as procurement, transportation, disposal, and capital goods.
Domestic reference data
[IDEA Database] (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Industry and Technology) * 4
[SHK] Global Warming Countermeasure Calculation, Reporting and Disclosure System (Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) * 3)
[GLIO] (Independent Administrative Institution National Institute for Environmental Studies) * 9)
Overseas reference data
Local systems and guidelines
Overseas Emission intensity Database
Requirements that Emission intensity must meet
The accuracy (precision) and coverage (coverage) of the calculation will vary depending on the type of data used for the "Emission intensity." The typical requirements that an Emission intensity must meet are as follows: * 2
Emission intensity requirements* 2)
- Reliability: The origin and source of the data must be clear and traceable.
- Representativeness: The data used must be appropriately representative of the subject of the calculation in terms of time, region, and technology.
- Time relevance: Use data that is not too old and is close to the time of calculation. For data that is updated annually, use the most recent data. For data that is updated every few years, select the most recent data possible.
- Geographical relevance: Priority should be given to data from the region where the Calculated activity are taking place. If no such data is available, data from other regions may be used instead.
- Technical relevance: Reflects the latest or current technology used in the intended activity.
The importance of utilizing databases, including upstream processes
An essential element in promoting decarbonized management for companies is to accurately grasp emission amount throughout the entire supply chain. In particular, when assessing the environmental impact of products and Service, the accuracy of calculations depends greatly on the extent to which data covering the entire life cycle (upstream data), from the extraction of raw materials to Manufacturing, distribution, use, disposal, and recycling, can be covered.
The Emission intensity database (Ver. 3.5, etc.) published by the Ministry of the Environment is a calculation basis for the domestic standard that mainly targets direct emission amount(mainly Scope 1 and 2 ) from companies, such as Energy use and waste disposal in activity business activities.
However, much of this public data does not adequately cover emission amount from upstream processes such as the mining, Manufacturing , and transportation of raw materials (indirect emissions, equivalent to Scope 3).
Therefore, in order to understand emission amount taking into account the entire life cycle of a product or Service (from raw material procurement to disposal), it is essential to utilize an international Emission intensity database based on LCA (Life Cycle Assessment).
Representative examples include Japan's "AIST-IDEA Database" and Switzerland's "ecoinvent." These provide comprehensive environmental impact data covering both upstream and downstream processes, enabling precise calculation of emission amount across the entire supply chain, including the Manufacturing stages of materials and parts.
Major types of Emission intensity databases and how to choose one
Representative domestic Emission intensity databases* 2) Types and how to select them
Comparison table of representative domestic Emission intensity databases (from the Ministry of the Environment's Emission intensity database Ver. 5) * 2)
Database | Provided by | Features | merit | Disadvantages | Main uses |
SHK(Accounting, reporting and disclosure system under the Global Global Warming Countermeasure Act) * 4) | Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry | Average Emission intensity is prepared based on Industry -output tables | ◎ Covers the entire society and is applicable to a wide range of industries ○ Convenient for initial Scope 3 calculations *Coefficients for electricity, fuel, waste disposal, etc. are included. | ● Department classification is rough and individual accuracy is low | Understanding the overall picture, simple calculation |
GLIO(Global Link Input-Output) * 9) | Center for Global Environmental Research (NIES) | Internationally Expanded Industry-Output Table | ◎Calculations can be made including overseas supply chains | ○Not suitable for detailed domestic analysis | Calculations include imports and international trade |
IDEA v3(Inventory Database for Environmental Analysis) * 5) | National Institute of Advanced Industrial Industry and Technology (AIST) | Japan's leading database, calculated by precisely accumulating the process from raw material collection to disposal | ◎Highly accurate calculations based on products and processes are possible ◎Detailed Emission intensity database based on product-level LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) | ●Large maintenance effort required ○Paid license | Product LCA, precise calculations. Visualization of emission amount in Manufacturing and procurement departments. |
Representative overseas Emission intensity databases * 2) Types and how to select them
Comparison table of representative overseas Emission intensity databases * 2)
Database | Provided by | Features | merit | Disadvantages | Main uses |
ecoinvent * 11) (Switzerland) | Non-profit organization (ecoinvent Association) | The world's most widely used LCA database, containing detailed process data for each country and field. | ◎ Covers a wide range of fields including Energy, materials, and chemicals ◎ Compliant with ISO 44 and highly trusted internationally | ○ Paid license ○ Little data specific to Japan | Global LCA and overseas transactions. Companies with international supply chains and those complying with European regulations. |
ELCD(European Reference Life Cycle Database) * 12) | European Commission (JRC) | LCA data is maintained as a common base data within Europe and is widely used for EU policy responses and regulatory compliance. | ◎Highly reliable as it is maintained by a public institution ◎Effective for complying with European regulations | ○ Mainly within Europe ○ Limited update frequency | Environmental response and research in Europe |
US LCI(United States Life Cycle Inventory Database) * 13) | National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) | LCA data based on the US's unique Industry and Energy structure | ◎Free and easy to use ◎Effective for analysis of the US market | ○Data coverage is still limited ○Development status varies by field | Business development and academic research in the United States |
GREET（Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation） * 14) | Argonne National Laboratory (USA) | LCA model specifically tailored to the transportation and fuel sectors | ◎Strong in analyzing automobile and fuel supply chains ◎Used for policy and regulatory compliance | ○ Limited application areas (mainly transportation-related) | emission amount calculations and fuel analysis for the transportation sector |
Visualization of CO2 emission amount using an Emission intensity database
By flexibly selecting data according to the scope of calculation and the required accuracy, businesses can calculate GHG emission amount with greater reliability. This also makes it easier to visualize the entire supply chain and comply with international ESG reporting (e.g., TCFD, CDPs) disclosures. * 3)
Specific flow of data collection and utilization
Calculating CO2 emission amount using the Emission intensity database involves the following steps: * 2)
1. Understanding your company's activity levels
We collect activity data based on the scope of the target, such as electricity consumption, fuel consumption, transport ton-kilometers, and monetary value.
2. Selection of Emission intensity
Select the value of the Category that is closest to the target activity from the Emission intensity based on the Industry -output table or the accumulation method (IDEA v3) listed in Ver. 3.5.
3. Calculation of emission amount
emission amount from each activity are calculated using the formula " emission amount(tCO₂e) = activity amount x Emission intensity ."
4. Visualization and utilization
The calculation results are visualized by department and process, which helps identify areas with high emissions and prioritize reduction measures.
The importance of understanding emission amount throughout the supply chain
Understanding CO2 emission amount throughout the entire supply chain is an essential element for companies to implement effective decarbonization strategies. It is necessary to accurately assess overall emission amount by taking into account not only the company's own direct emission amount but also those of business partners and upstream and emission amount of the supply chain. * 3)
Linking the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) * 16) with the Emission intensity Database
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) is a framework for calculating and reporting greenhouse gas emission amount that is widely adopted around the world. The Emission intensity database is used in conjunction with this protocol to help companies classify and calculate emission amount. * 2)
Comprehensive understanding of emission amount , particularly in Scope 3 , requires emissions data for the entire supply chain. By appropriately selecting and using the latest database, which was developed with reference to the Ministry of the Environment's " Emission intensity Database Ver. 5," for each activity, data accuracy can be improved while enabling emission amount calculations that comply with the protocol. * 2)
* Zeroboard comes standard with the AIST-IDEA database, enabling precise calculations including upstream data: Our Service includes carefully selected items specialized for calculating GHG emission amount from the AIST-IDEA database, Japan's largest LCA inventory database in the world, which supports the calculation and visualization of environmental impacts using LCA and Scope 3 , as well as CFP calculations. It achieves comprehensive visualization of GHG emission amount from Scope 1 to 3 with high accuracy and efficiency. It can also meet domestic and international LCA and ESG requirements, making it the platform of choice for many companies as a platform to support decarbonization management throughout the supply chain.
throughout the supply chain
GHG emission amount calculation/visualization,
For centralized management of environmental items
Zeroboard
For detailed information and Contact us about the entire Service ,
Please check here.
Reference source
* 1) Ministry of the Environment, Japan Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report 2024https://www.env.go.jp/content/000226851.pdf
* 2) Ministry of the Environment: Emission intensity Database Ver. 3.5 (released in March 2025)https://www.env.go.jp/earth/ondanka/supply_chain/gvc/estimate_05.html
* 3 ) Ministry of the Environment: emission intensity for calculating greenhouse gas emission amount of organizations through the supply chain (Ver. 3.5)
5* 4) Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry"Act on Global Global Warming Countermeasure Calculation, Reporting and Publication System" SHK
https://policies.env.go.jp/earth/ghg-santeikohyo/calc.html* 5) National Institute of Advanced Industry Science and Technology (AIST) IDEA official Service explanation
https://www.aist-solutions.co.jp/service/aist_idea/aist_idea.html* 6) "IPCC Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines" supervised by the National Institute for Environmental Studies and the Ministry of the Environmenthttps://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/
* 7) International Energy Agency (IEA)
https://www.iea.org/* 8) Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) "Greenhouse Gas emission amount Data by Country"
https://www.iges.or.jp/jp* 9) GLIO (Global Link Input-Output) database, Global Environment Center, National Institute for Environmental Studieshttps://www.cger.nies.go.jp/publications/report/d031/index.html
* 10) National Institute for Environmental Studies "3EID (Industry Load Intensity Database based on Input-Output Tables)"
https://www.nies.go.jp/3eid/index.html* 11) ecoinvent Association “ecoinvent Database”
https://ecoinvent.org* 12) European Commission (Joint Research Centre, JRC) "European Reference Life Cycle Database (ELCD)"
https://eplca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ELCD3/* 13) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) "United States Life Cycle Inventory Database (US LCI)" https://www.lcacommons.gov/lca-collaboration/NREL
* 14) Argonne National Laboratory, USA, "GREET (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation)" official websitehttps://greet.es.anl.gov/
* 15) Ministry of the Environment, "Q&A: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on Supply Chain emission amount Accounting"
https://www.env.go.jp/earth/ondanka/supply_chain/gvc/files/tools/QandA_202303.pdf* 16) World Resources Institute (WRI), World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) “GHG Protocol”
https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-standard
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What is an Emission intensity database? A thorough explanation of the types, how to use it, and the benefits of introducing it
