Data collection methods

Depending on the selected sub-stage, various options are available for recording and calculating consumption data.

Add own activity

One option is creating an individual activity via the "Add own activity" button. This allows for a high degree of flexibility in mapping processes. After clicking, an input mask opens with the following sections: General Information, Emission Factors, Data Source Details, Primary Data Share, and Data Quality Check.

1. Entering own emission factors

You have the option to enter an emission factor manually, e.g. from supplier data or a utility bill. The factors are divided into two groups:

• Main emission factor - The factor excl. biogenic CO₂ uptake. It is required for all standards.
• Additional emission factors per selected standards - Four further emission factors that complete the balance in line with the standard. They are optional to provide, but required for compliance with individual standards (see table).

The following overview shows which factor is mandatory or optional for which standard:

Emission factor	ISO 14067	Catena-X	PACT
Factor excl. biogenic CO₂ uptake	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory
Factor incl. biogenic CO₂ uptake	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory
Factor fossil	Mandatory	Optional	Mandatory
Factor biogenic (excl. CO2)	Mandatory	Optional	Mandatory
Factor direct land use change	Mandatory	Optional	Mandatory
Factor biogenic CO2-uptake	Optional	Optional	Mandatory

The example of a wooden pallet illustrates the difference between the six factors well.

Factor excl. biogenic CO₂ uptake – Main factor: This is the main emission factor, previously referred to as "Factor (total)," and forms the basis of all previous PCF calculations. It includes all emissions generated along a product's life cycle – fossil emissions (e.g. from energy and transport), biogenic non-CO₂ emissions (e.g. biogenic methane), and land use changes. Not included is the biogenic CO₂ uptake through biomass. This factor is mandatory to report for all standards.

Wooden pallet example: This factor includes emissions from sawing, transport, and machine operation during pallet production – i.e. everything released into the atmosphere as CO₂. The fact that the tree absorbed CO₂ during its growth is not yet taken into account here.

Factor incl. biogenic CO₂ uptake: This factor extends the factor (excl. biogenic CO₂ uptake) by adding the biogenic CO₂ uptake through biomass – i.e. the amount of CO₂ absorbed from the atmosphere during plant growth and stored in the product. For products with a high wood or biomass content, this factor can be negative – meaning the product has bound more CO₂ net than it emitted. It forms the basis for calculating the Data Quality Rating (DQR) and the Primary Data Share (PDS).

Wooden pallet example: A wooden pallet stores the carbon that the tree absorbed from the atmosphere during its growth. This stored carbon outweighs the emissions generated during pallet production – so the factor is negative.

Factor fossil: This factor indicates exclusively the share of emissions attributable to fossil sources – e.g. the combustion of petroleum, natural gas, or coal along the production pathway. It is a partial value of both the factor (excl. biogenic CO₂ uptake) and the factor (incl. biogenic CO₂ uptake). ISO 14067 requires separate disclosure of the fossil share.

Wooden pallet example: The fossil share arises, for example, from diesel consumption of sawmill machinery or fuel used by transport vehicles. Biogenic emissions are not included here.

Factor biogenic (excl. CO2): This factor indicates biogenic emissions excluding CO2, such as biogenic methane. The biogenic CO2 uptake through biomass is not included in this factor. ISO 14067 requires separate disclosure of the biogenic share.

Wooden pallet example: Biogenic emissions arise, for example, from the release of biogenic methane during the decomposition of wood waste.

Factor direct land use change: This factor indicates the share of emissions attributable to direct land use change (dLUC) – such as the conversion of natural land (e.g. forest) into cultivation or production land to obtain the material used. Emissions from indirect land-use change and CO₂ removals are not included. ISO 14067 requires separate disclosure of direct land use change.

Wooden pallet example: If the wood comes from land that was previously cleared for cultivation, one-time emissions from land use change occur, which this factor captures. For wood from sustainably managed forests without land conversion, the value is zero.

Factor biogenic CO₂-uptake: This factor represents the amount of biogenic CO₂ that was removed from the atmosphere during plant growth and (temporarily) stored in the product. As this represents a removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere, the value is displayed with a negative sign.

Wooden pallet example: The tree from which the pallet was produced absorbed CO₂ from the atmosphere during its growth and stored the carbon in its biomass. This stored carbon amount, converted back into its CO₂ equivalent, is displayed as a negative value.

Biogenic and fossil carbon content

In addition to the emission factors, the carbon content of the activity is recorded – separated into biogenic and fossil carbon.

The biogenic carbon content indicates how much biogenic carbon is bound in the material used – i.e. carbon that plants absorbed as CO₂ from the atmosphere during their growth and that is now stored in the material.

The fossil carbon content correspondingly indicates how much fossil carbon is bound in the material used – i.e. carbon from fossil sources that is not part of the current biogenic carbon cycle.

How to determine the values: Multiply the dry mass of the respective material share (biobased or fossil) by the corresponding carbon content factor. For many plant-based materials such as wood or cellulose, this factor is around 50%, meaning roughly half of the dry mass is carbon. For fossil materials such as standard plastics (e.g. polyethylene), the carbon content factor is also often around 80–86%, though it can vary depending on the type of plastic. The exact factor depends on the chemical composition of the material and can be assigned via mass balancing.

Wooden pallet example: If a pallet weighs 20 kg dry and consists of about 50% carbon, the biogenic carbon content is approximately 10 kg C. If the pallet also includes plastic fittings with a fossil carbon share of 1 kg, this is reported separately as a fossil carbon content of 1 kg C.

2. Direct Entry of CO₂e Values

Another option is the direct entry of already calculated CO₂e emissions, e.g. from supplier reports, measurements or external calculations. Unlike the emission factor entry, no consumption value is multiplied by a factor here – the CO₂e value is taken over directly. The CO₂ equivalents can be entered in the units g, kg, t, lb or short ton.

The entered CO₂e value can then be specified more precisely using the "Type of direct CO₂e entry" dropdown. The following options are available:

• CO₂e (excl. biogenic CO₂ uptake): Contains fossil and biogenic emissions, but not the biogenic CO₂ uptake by biomass.
• CO₂e (incl. biogenic CO₂ uptake): Extends the value by the biogenic CO₂ uptake by biomass.
• CO₂e (fossil): Exclusively the fossil share of emissions.
• CO₂e (biogenic): The biogenic share, consisting of biogenic emissions and the CO₂ uptake by biomass.

3. Entry of individual gases

In addition to entering overall CO₂e values, it is possible to record the direct emissions of an activity at the level of individual greenhouse gases. This enables more detailed reporting and increases the transparency of the PCF. The section can be expanded and collapsed using the "Individual gases" button.

The entry of individual gases is optional. If no value is entered, the respective field remains empty – no default value is assumed. The following greenhouse gases can be recorded in the unit kg:

The individual gases refer exclusively to direct emissions. Upstream emissions are not recorded here. 

4. Data source details

The following data source details apply to both the emission factor entry and the direct CO₂e entry. When entering emission factors, the same source should be used for all four factors to ensure methodological consistency.

 

5. Activity-based emission factor search

In addition to manually entering emission factors, Climate Hub offers the option to search for emission factors via the external climatiq database and adopt them directly. The search is started via the "Search Factor (Activity-Based)" button and enables an activity-based selection of suitable emission factors.

Currently (as of May 2026), climatiq provides around 458,000 emission factors from 64 different databases. When adopting an emission factor, the database used is decisive. This depends on the selected standard.

With activated PACT or Catena-X - ecoinvent: When selecting an ecoinvent factor, all six fields are automatically populated. Only ecoinvent provides this complete breakdown within a consistent system boundary. 

With activated ISO 14067 - Other databases: When selecting another database, only the Factor (excl. biogenic CO₂ uptake) is imported. The additional factor fields remain empty, as these databases currently do not provide a biogenic breakdown. However, these factors are required for a complete standards-compliant balance sheet.

Further details on conducting the search and importing emission factors can be found in this article.

6. Spend-Based emission factor search (only with activated ISO 14067)

The Climate Hub also enables the search and selection of emission factors based on cost data. The search is started using the "Search factor (spend based)" button. For these spend-based emission factors, currency conversions and inflation adjustments are automatically taken into account, compensating for temporal and regional differences between the factor and the actual activity.

Information on researching and importing factors, the underlying methodology and a practical example can be found in this article.

7. Recording electricity consumption

For certain sub-stages, it is possible to record electricity consumption separately. An individual emission factor from the electricity provider represents the most reliable data source. If this is not available, a regional or country-specific electricity mix or green electricity can be used as an alternative.

When selecting electricity mix or 100% green electricity, the year as well as the country or region must be specified. Based on this information, a suitable emission factor is automatically determined – both for direct emissions and for the upstream chain (analogous to CCF Scope 2 electricity). The upstream chain includes Well-to-Tank, Transmission and Distribution, and Well-to-Tank of Transmission and Distribution. In the Climate Hub, these values are combined into an overall factor and an overall value in kg CO₂e for clarity.

When selecting an individual CO₂e factor, an emission factor must additionally be entered manually and optionally documented with a source. In this case, direct emissions are calculated using the individual factor, while the upstream chain continues to be determined based on the specified year and country/region.

As a fourth option, self-generated electricity from renewable energy sources can be recorded. Only the electricity consumption and the corresponding unit need to be entered. The emission factor is set to 0 g/kg in this case, as electricity generation from renewable sources by definition does not cause any direct CO₂ emissions.

8. Selecting a predefined activity

If you do not have your own emission factor available, you can use one of our predefined standard activities with stored emission factors. The stored emission factor is automatically applied to the entered consumption value. This is quick and easy – ideal for common use cases and saves time when researching suitable emission factors.

For certain activities, emission factors for upstream processes (upstream emissions) are stored where provided by the source. If such data is available, it is automatically taken into account and added to the overall emission value.

9. Further Information

For all emission sources, consumption values can be recorded in the "Input" column and the respective unit selected. Emissions are calculated automatically. For quick reference, the total sum of all emissions for the respective sub-stage is displayed in the top right corner.

For all added activities, the emission factor used including the source is transparently reported in the PDF report.