Custom Emission Factors

Custom emission factors (EFs) — Reliable, bespoke EFs to calculate the footprint of your product or service


 
 

Built for your value chain. Not borrowed from someone else’s.

Custom emission factors are bespoke values developed for your specific operations, replacing the generic industry averages that most carbon accounting relies on. They reflect your actual materials, processes, and supply chain geography — so your emissions data tells the truth about your business, not an approximation of your sector.

Lifecycles specialises in building high-quality, customised emission factor datasets grounded in rigorous life cycle assessment. Not generic outputs. Not one-size-fits-all. Data that stands up to scrutiny from auditors, regulators, and investors.

Why this matters now?

Three major frameworks are driving demand for accurate, granular emissions data — and all three penalise organisations that rely on generic factors.

CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) entered its definitive compliance phase in January 2026, requiring EU importers of carbon-intensive goods to report embedded emissions and purchase certificates accordingly. Default emission values are deliberately conservative — meaning organisations without product-specific data pay more than they need to.

CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) requires in-scope companies to report Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions under the European Sustainability Reporting Standards. Scope 3 — value chain emissions — is where most organisations hit a data wall, because it demands granular emission factors for purchased goods, services, and upstream activities.

SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative) requires companies to set emissions reduction targets validated against GHG Protocol-aligned inventories, with mandatory five-year reviews. Scope 3 targets are required when value chain emissions exceed 40% of total emissions — which applies to most organisations. Weak data means weak targets, and weak targets don't get validated.

The common thread: generic emission factors create real costs, real compliance risks, and real credibility problems. Custom datasets solve all three.

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Custom emission factors

How we build your datasets

Spend-based factors

Derived from EXIOBASE, providing emissions per dollar spent (kg CO₂e / $AUD) based on economic sector and region. A practical starting point for organisations mapping Scope 3 emissions across diverse procurement categories.

Australian life cycle inventory

Extracted from AusLCI — Australia's national life cycle inventory database, which Lifecycles is a lead contributor to. These factors are specific to Australian materials, electricity, transport, and energy systems.

International life cycle inventory

Based on ecoinvent data, covering emissions per physical unit for global supply chain activities. Essential for organisations with international operations or sourcing.

Frequently asked questions

  • Generic emission factors are sector-wide averages — they represent a broad approximation of emissions for a given activity or material, regardless of where, how, or by whom it was produced. They're useful as a starting point, but they don't reflect the specifics of your supply chain, your geography, or your production processes. Custom emission factors are developed for your organisation using primary data and rigorous LCA methodology. They capture the actual emissions profile of your operations and value chain, which means more accurate reporting, more credible disclosures, and — in the case of frameworks like CBAM — lower compliance costs.

  • There are four main advantages. First, accuracy: your emissions reporting reflects what's actually happening in your operations, not an industry average that may bear little resemblance to your supply chain. Second, cost reduction: under CBAM, default emission values are set conservatively — custom data based on verified supplier emissions typically results in lower certificate costs. Third, credibility: CSRD disclosures and SBTi target submissions backed by bespoke, ISO-compliant datasets carry significantly more weight with auditors, investors, and regulators than those built on generic factors. Fourth, ongoing capability: Lifecycles builds datasets as part of a repeatable system — using tools like SimaPro and drawing on AusLCI and ecoinvent — so your data can be maintained and updated internally as your business evolves, rather than requiring a fresh consulting engagement each reporting cycle.

  • All datasets are developed in line with ISO 14040/44 (the international standards for life cycle assessment) and are compatible with the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and Scope 3 Standard. This ensures alignment with the methodological requirements of CBAM, CSRD (via ESRS E1), and SBTi target validation. Where Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are relevant, datasets also align with ISO 14025 and EN 15804.

  • You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.

  • We offer flexible pricing based on project type and complexity. After an initial conversation, we’ll provide a transparent quote with no hidden costs.