Measuring Emissions: the basic formula

Carbon accounting can look complicated, but most calculations start from one idea: multiply how much of an activity happened by how much it emits per unit.

The formula

Here $E$ is the emissions, $A$ is the activity data (for example kilowatt-hours of electricity) and $EF$ is the emission factor, the emissions per unit of that activity.

A worked example

Suppose a building uses 1,000 kWh of electricity in a month and the local grid emits 0.4 kg of CO₂ for each kWh.

Why it matters

Once you can measure, you can compare options and track progress. Good data on activity is usually the hardest part, and it is where most of the effort should go.