Climate & Carbon Reporting
LCA-based climate and carbon reporting services. Custom emission factors, CBAM support, SBTi alignment and Scope 3 data that stands up to audit.
Climate reporting is only as good as the data behind it. Whether you're preparing for mandatory climate-related financial disclosures under AASB S2, aligning with the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), or setting science-based targets - the quality of your emission factors determines whether your reporting is defensible or decorative.
Lifecycles brings 20+ years of life cycle assessment expertise to climate and carbon reporting. We don't just help you report - we build the rigorous, LCA-grounded datasets that make your numbers accurate, auditable and genuinely useful for decision-making.
What sets us apart
Most climate reporting consultants focus on the process - governance frameworks, gap analyses, disclosure templates. That matters, but it misses the foundation.
The real question is: are the numbers right?
Generic industry-average emission factors are the default for most carbon accounting. They're fast, cheap, yet not always sufficient. Auditors, investors, and regulators are asking harder questions about Scope 3 data quality. Supply chain partners with their own science-based targets need emission factors that reflect actual operations, not sector approximations.
Lifecycles specialises in building customised emission factor datasets grounded in rigorous life cycle assessment. Data that reflects your real materials, processes, and supply chains. Data that holds up under scrutiny from auditors, regulators, and the boards that rely on it.
Custom emission factors
Bespoke emission factor datasets developed for your specific operations, replacing the generic industry averages that most carbon accounting relies on. Built on rigorous LCA methodology, these datasets reflect your actual materials, products, and processes giving you Scope 1, 2, and 3 numbers you can stand behind.
Learn more about custom emission factors.
CBAM compliance
The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is now in its definitive phase. If you export to Europe or supply someone who does, you need product-level embedded emissions data that meets CBAM's methodology requirements. Generic defaults won't cut it; CBAM explicitly rewards actual production data over benchmarks.
Our LCA expertise means we can develop the product-specific emission intensity data your supply chain needs, calculated to the standard CBAM demands. Read more about how CBAM affects Australian exporters.
How we help
SBTi and science-based targets
Setting a science-based target is a commitment. Meeting it requires accurate baseline data and the ability to track real reductions, not just shifts in accounting methodology. We help organisations build the emission factor foundation that SBTi validation requires, particularly for Scope 3 categories where data quality separates credible targets from aspirational ones.
Accurate baselines. Defensible tracking. Targets grounded in actual performance, not estimates.
Scope 3 data quality
Scope 3 is where most organisations' emissions live, and where data quality is weakest. AASB S2 requires disclosure of material Scope 3 categories with increasing levels of assurance. The gap between spend-based estimates and activity-based data is the gap between compliance and credibility.
We help you move up the data quality hierarchy: from spend-based proxies to supplier-specific and product-level emission factors that reflect your actual value chain.
Why this matters now
Climate reporting requirements are converging globally. AASB S2 in Australia, CSRD in Europe, the ISSB baseline internationally all demanding granular, defensible emissions data across the value chain. At the same time, CBAM is putting a price on embedded carbon at the border, and SBTi is tightening its validation criteria.
The common thread: generic data is no longer sufficient. Organisations that rely on industry averages for their Scope 3 emissions are increasingly exposed to regulatory risk, audit findings, and supply chain partners who need better numbers.
This is where LCA expertise becomes critical. Not as a one-off study, but as the foundation for ongoing, defensible climate and carbon reporting.
Get the data right - get in touch
FAQs
What is the difference between generic and custom emission factors?1
Generic emission factors are industry-average values published in databases like the National Greenhouse Accounts Factors. They provide a rough estimate based on broad sector categories. Custom emission factors are developed specifically for your operations using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology — reflecting your actual materials, processes, energy sources, and supply chains. Custom factors are more accurate, more defensible under audit, and increasingly required by frameworks like AASB S2 and SBTi for credible Scope 3 reporting.Why does data quality matter for climate reporting under AASB S2?2
AASB S2 requires organisations to disclose material Scope 3 emissions with increasing levels of assurance over a four-year rollout. As assurance requirements move from limited to reasonable, auditors will scrutinise the underlying data — not just the totals. Organisations relying on spend-based estimates or generic industry averages face higher audit risk and may need to restate figures as standards tighten. LCA-based emission factors provide the granular, methodology-backed data that satisfies audit requirements and builds confidence with investors and regulators.What is CBAM and how does it affect Australian businesses?3
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is an EU regulation that puts a carbon price on certain goods imported into Europe, including steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen, and electricity. Australian manufacturers and exporters in these sectors - or their supply chains - need to provide product-level embedded emissions data that meets CBAM's methodology requirements. CBAM explicitly incentivises actual production data over default benchmark values, making LCA-based emission intensity calculations essential for competitive positioning.How are custom emission factors used in SBTi target setting?4
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) requires companies to set emission reduction targets aligned with climate science. For most organisations, Scope 3 emissions represent the majority of their footprint and are critical to target validation. SBTi's criteria increasingly require higher-quality data for Scope 3 categories — moving beyond spend-based estimates to activity-based and supplier-specific emission factors. Custom emission factors built on LCA methodology provide the accurate baselines needed for credible target setting and defensible progress tracking.What is the difference between Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions?5
Scope 1 covers direct emissions from your own operations (e.g. fuel combustion, process emissions). Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat, or steam. Scope 3 covers all other indirect emissions across your value chain — including purchased goods and services, transportation, waste, business travel, and the use and disposal of your products. Scope 3 typically represents 70–90% of an organisation's total footprint and is where custom emission factors make the biggest difference to data accuracy.