Emissions factors version information

Emissions factors are released each year as versions. Each year's version includes the most up to date emissions factors available. You can select which version you would like to use on the calculation sources and methods form. And remember, users can always customize their emissions factors on the Data Entry tab.

Table of emission factors for the 2025 version of emission factors.

Scope 1

Scope 1
Version/Date released2017/November 20172018/April 20192019/February 20202020/January 20212021/February 20222022/March 20232024/January 20252025 (Recommended)/May 2026
Stationary combustionOn-campus stationary changes, new NOx emissions factorsUnchanged from 2017 version

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2017, Heating values: 2019)

Updated methodology for CH4 from Wood Chips, Wood pellets, and Grass Pellets

Error corrected for Incinerated Waste (reducing CO2 EF by around 70%)

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2018, Heating values: 2019)

Separated out biogenic emission factors

Corrected biogenic % for residual and distillate heating (from 100% to 20%)

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2019, Heating values: 2020)Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2021, Heating values: 2021)Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2023, Heating values: 2023)Unchanged from 2024 version
Transport fuelsUnchanged from CCC, new NOx emissions factorsUnchanged from 2017 version

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2017, Heating values: 2019, Average MPGs: 2016)

CH4 and N2O update for gasoline and diesel vehicles (emission factors and fuel efficiency)

Biogenic fuel % updated, and error corrected 

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2018, Heating values: 2019, Average MPGs: 2017)

Updated biogenic % for E85 (from 85% to 74%)

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2019, Heating values: 2020, Average MPGs: 2019)Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2021, Heating values: 2021, Average MPGs: 2020)Updated to EPA Emission Factors Hub data released in 2024Updated CO2 values from EPA Emission Factors Hub data released in January 2025
FertilizerUnchanged from CCC and NFTUnchanged from 2017 versionUpdated to the IPCC-recommended methodology for both Organic and Synthetic FertilizerUnchanged from 2019 versionUnchanged from 2020 versionUnchanged from 2021 versionUnchanged from 2022 versionUnchanged from 2024 version
AnimalsUnchanged from CCC, n/a for NFTUnchanged from 2017 version

Updated data to most recent year (2017)

Updated methodology for Beef Cows and Poultry

Updated data to the most recent year (2018)Updated data to the most recent year (2019)Updated data to the most recent year (2020)Updated data to the most recent year (2023)Unchanged from 2024 version
Refrigerants & chemicalsUnchanged from CCC, n/a for NFTUnchanged from 2017 versionMinor error corrections

Minor naming corrections

Added the option to view results using 20-year GWPs

Unchanged from 2020 versionUnchanged from 2021 versionUpdated in July 2024 with AR6 GWP values. Unchanged from 2024 version

 

Scope 2

Scope 2
Version/Date released2017/November 20172018/April 20192019/February 20202020/January 20212021/February 20222022/March 20232024 (Recommended)/January 20252025 (Recommended)/May 2026
Utility consumption eGrid 2014 report (released 2016, factors updated through 2014), Custom fuel mix changes from CCCeGrid 2016 report (released 2018, factors updated through 2016)

eGrid 2018 report (released Feb 2020, factors updated through 2018)

Note: The emission factors used in SIMAP were not affected by the 3/9/20 eGrid revision.

eGrid 2018 report for location-based emission factors (unchanged from 2019 version of EFs)eGrid 2019 and eGrid 2020 report for location-based emission factorseGrid 2020 for location-based emission factors (unchanged from 2021 version)eGrid 2021 and 2022 for location-based emission factors.eGRID 2023 for location-based emission factors
  Residuals for CO2 for 2015 by NERC region.Residual emission factors for CO2 added for 2016 by NERC region.Residual emission factors for CO2 in 2015, 2016, and 2017 by eGrid region. Residual emission factors were previously by NERC regions.Residual emission factors for market-based approach updated through 2018

Green-e 2019 market-based residual emission factors added.

Green-e 2020 market-based residual emission factors not yet available.

Green-e 2020 market-based residual emission factorsGreen-e 2021 and 2022 market-based residual emission factorsGreen-e 2023 market-based residual emission factors

 

Scope 3

Scope 3
Version/Date released2017/November 20172018/April 20192019/February 20202020/January 20212021/February 20222022/March 20232024/January 20252025 (Recommended)/May 2026
CommutingUnchanged from CCC, new NOx emissions factorsUnchanged from 2017 version

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2017, Heating values: 2019, Average MPGs: 2016)

CH4 and N2O update for gasoline and diesel vehicles (emission factors and fuel efficiency)

Updated electricity mix (for light rail and commuter rail) using eGrid 2018

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2018, Heating values: 2019, Average MPGs: 2017)

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2019, Heating values: 2020, Average MPGs: 2019)

Added two new commuting modes: Electric vehicles and telecommuting

Updated bus emission factor to use same ridership data source as the EPA factors. This significantly reduced the bus commuting emissions factor.

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2021, Heating values: 2021, Average MPGs: 2020)Updated to EPA Emission Factors Hub data released in 2024Updated to EPA Emission Factors Hub data released in 2025. 
Business travel & study abroadAir travel CO2, new NOx emissions factorsUnchanged from 2017 version

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2017, Heating values: 2019, Average MPGs: 2016)

CH4 and N2O update for gasoline and diesel vehicles (emission factors and fuel efficiency)

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2018, Heating values: 2019, Average MPGs: 2017)Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2019, Heating values: 2020, Average MPGs: 2019)

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2021, Heating values: 2021, Average MPGs: 2020)

Air travel CO2 passenger-mile emission factors higher in 2020 and 2021 due to low ridership. 2022 set equal to 2019.

Air travel CH4 emissions factors now 0 across all years

Updated to EPA Emission Factors Hub data released in 2024. Expect noticeable changes to your travel footprint. Updated to EPA Emission Factors Hub data released in 2025.
Student travel to/from homeAir travel CO2, new NOx emissions factorsUnchanged from 2017 version

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2017, Heating values: 2019, Average MPGs: 2016)

CH4 and N2O update for gasoline and diesel vehicles (emission factors and fuel efficiency)

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2018, Heating values: 2019, Average MPGs: 2017)Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2019, Heating values: 2020, Average MPGs: 2019)

Updated data to most recent year (Carbon Contents: 2021, Heating values: 2021, Average MPGs: 2020)

 

See notes above for air travel

Updated to EPA Emission Factors Hub data released in 2024Updated to EPA Emission Factors Hub data released in 2025.
FoodNew to SIMAP with GHG emissions factors. Unchanged from NFTUnchanged from 2017 versionNo changesNo changesNo changesUpdated to new emission factor data set: Poore & Nemecek 2018. Expect food emissions to increase ~30% due to improved methods and inclusion of food waste emissions.Coolfood Pledge Version added in September 2024, which includes additional emission factors from Poore & Nemecek 2018. No changes to the Basic version. No changes
PaperUnchanged from CCC. N/A for NFTUnchanged from 2017 versionNo changesNo changesNo changes

No changes

Emission factors units updated from eCO2 to CO2

No changesNo changes
Waste & wastewaterUnchanged from CCC, new nitrogen loss factorsUnchanged from 2017 versionNo changesUpdated waste emission factors across time using the WARM Model. Previously, the same value was used across all years. Current through 2016.

No changes to waste

Updated wastewater method "Anaerobic Digestion" to "Aerobic + Anaerobic Digestion"

Added new wastewater method "Anaerobic + Anaerobic Digestion"

No changes

Outdated waste emission factors from the WARM Model removed. Waste emission factors updated to EPA Emission Factors Hub data released in 2024. Expect noticeable changes to your waste footprint due to the more accurate methodology. 

No changes to wastewater.

Solid waste updated to EPA Emission Factors Hub data released in 2025.

No changes to wastewater.

Purchasing DataN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AAdded purchasing data entry across all scope 3 categories. Uses 2016 data from EPA EEIO database.Added NAICS categories version to align with EPA EEIO database changes (version 1.2, April 2023). Updated to NAICs categories version 1.4, released October 2025.

 

 Sinks and offsets

 Sinks and offsets
Version/Date released2017/November 20172018/April 20192019/February 20202020/January 20212021/February 20222022/March 20232024/January 20252025 (Recommended)/May 2026
CompostUnchanged from CCC. Nitrogen update for average compost N contentUnchanged from 2017 versionNo changesNo changesNo changes

No changes

Emission factors units updated from eCO2 to CO2

No changesNo changes
Non-additional sequestrationUnchanged from CCC, new for nitrogenUnchanged from 2017 versionNo changesNo changesNo changesNo changesNo changesNo changes
OffsetsUnchanged from CCC, new for nitrogenUnchanged from 2017 versionNo changesNo changesNo changesNo changesNo changesNo changes

 

Note: This table is specific to US emissions factors. The Canadian electricity emissions factors (regional and residuals) were also updated.

 

CCC = Campus Carbon Calculator, which was the Excel version of the campus carbon footprint tool

NFT = Nitrogen Footprint Tool, which was the original Excel version of the campus nitrogen footprint tool