Examples of emission sources

If you’re not sure if you should consider tracking an activity in your inventory, here are some examples of emission sources and where to find information about them. To learn more, click the activity name or check out data collection tips.

On this page:

• Electricity
• Heat
• Transporting people in vehicles you own (fleets)
• Transporting goods in vehicles you own (fleets)
• Transporting people in vehicles owned by others (third-party travel)
• Staff commuting
• Transporting goods in vehicles owned by others (third-party shipping)
• Equipment you own
• Equipment owned by others (rented equipment)
• Other emission sources

Electricity

Activity	Scope	Examples	Where to find data
Generated electricity	1	A fuel-based generator that’s your main or back-up source of electricity which runs on: Natural gas, Gasoline, Diesel, or Propane	Bulk fuel purchases Maintenance records
Purchased electricity	2	Your organization pays for electricity from a utility provider such as BC Hydro, Hydro One, Direct Energy, etc.	Utility bills that include cost, location, and electricity usage amounts
Unmetered/unbilled electricity	3	You rent a location (such a room in an office building or an entire warehouse) associated with your organization and utilities are included in your lease You don’t control the light switches in your workspace (for example, the property manager must turn them on and off)	Property manager or landlord

Heat

Activity	Scope	Examples	Where to find data
Generated heat	1	You own a gas boiler, burner, or furnace to heat your building and water supply You pay bills from a gas company (for example, Fortis)	Utility bills that include cost, location, and usage amounts Bulk fuel purchases Maintenance records
Purchased heat	2	Your organization participates in a district energy system that heats your buildings with steam (steam is heated offsite and delivered to your building through pipes, making it a scope 2 emission)	Utility bills that include cost, location, and usage amounts
Unmetered/unbilled heat from fuel	3	You rent a location (such a room in an office building or an entire warehouse) for your organization and heating is included in your lease, which is generated by a gas boiler	Property manager or landlord
Unmetered/unbilled heat from electricity	3	You rent a location (such a room in an office building or an entire warehouse) for your organization and heating is included in your lease, which is generated by a gas boiler	Property manager or landlord

Transporting people in vehicles you own (fleets)

Activity	Scope	Examples	Where to find data
Road	1	Teams that travel to worksites or meetings in company-owned cars, trucks, buses, or other vehicles that drive on the road Company-owned vehicle driven by team members	Bulk fuel purchases Cards, receipts, or usage logs that include fuel cost, amount, and type Fleet management records – mileage readings, hours of operation Corporate expenses
Air	1	Helicopter tours Seaplane services
Water	1	Boat tours Water vessels that transport staff to/from jobsites
Rail	1	Rail tours

Transporting goods in vehicles you own (fleets)

Activity	Scope	Examples	Where to find data
Road	1	Your organization delivers goods in company-owned cars, trucks, buses, or other vehicles that drive on the road	Bulk fuel purchases Cards, receipts, or usage logs that include fuel cost, amount, and type Fleet management records – mileage readings, hours of operation Corporate expenses
Air	1	Your organization delivers goods with a company-owned seaplane
Water	1	Your organization delivers supplies to remote lodges Your organization ships goods through marine shipping (ocean freights) or inland shipping (boats on local waterways)
Rail	1	Your organization imports or exports oil through long-distance rail

Transporting people in vehicles owned by others (third-party travel)

Activity	Scope	Examples	Where to find data
Road	3	Rental cars Taxis Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing apps Employee-owned vehicles driven for business reasons (not including their commute to work)	Annual mileage records Expense reimbursement (gallons purchased, miles driven) Reports or invoices from travel agent, booking software, or app Corporate expenses
Air	3	Members of your organization flew to conferences or other business trips in a commercial airline, including helicopters, float planes, and private jet subscriptions
Water	3	Ferries taken for business travel
Rail	3	Travelling to worksites or other business trips by train

Staff commuting

Activity	Scope	Examples	Where to find data
Staff commuting	3	Employees travel to one of your locations (such as an office or retail store) every day by public transit or personal vehicles  Employees work from home part-time	Climate Smart commuter survey

Transporting goods in vehicles owned by others (third-party shipping)

Activity	Scope	Examples	Where to find data
Road	3	Outbound Shipping A local courier delivers documents or equipment to nearby clients A courier company such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL delivers products to clients by ground shipping You mail parcels to clients or other organizations through the postal service (for example, Canada Post) by ground shipping Inbound Shipping Your organization receives products or materials from suppliers to assemble or use in your process or products	Corporate expenses Courier, 3PL, or shipping invoices that include: Cost of shipping Weight of freight Distance travelled
Air	3	A courier company such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL delivers products to clients by express air shipping – locally or internationally You mail or receive parcels through the postal service (for example, your national post) by air shipping
Water	3	Your organization imports or exports goods through ocean freighter or other water vessel
Rail	3	Your organization ships merchandise or other goods by rail (train)

Equipment you own

Activity	Scope	Examples	Where to find data
Light gas-powered equipment (hand-held tools)	1	Weed trimmers, chainsaws, leaf blowers, and other types of gas-powered lawn equipment Snowblowers Pressure washers Steam cleaners Gasoline tools used by subcontractors Gas welders Tiger torches	Ask accounting, finance, or the procurement department for invoices or receipts from purchasing tools
Heavy gas-powered equipment	1	Forklift Boom truck Sweeper ATV Printing press	Reports from building maintenance team or contractors  Dashboard fuel monitor or equipment operator who can provide size of fuel tank and fuel usage amount

Equipment owned by others (rented equipment)

Activity	Scope	Examples	Where to find data
Light gas-powered equipment (hand-held tools)	3	Weed trimmers, chainsaws, leaf blowers, and other types of gas-powered lawn equipment Snowblowers  Pressure washers Steam cleaners Gasoline tools used by subcontractors Gas welders Tiger torches	Ask the finance or accounting department for invoices submitted for these services by the vendor
Heavy gas-powered equipment	3	Forklift Boom truck Sweeper ATV Printing press	Reports from building maintenance team or contractors  Dashboard fuel monitor or equipment operator who can provide size of fuel tank and fuel usage amount

 

Other emission sources

Activity	Scope	Examples	Where to find data
Accommodations	3	Your sales team flew to a convention and stayed at a hotel for a weekend Members from your department travelled from out of town to work at head office for a week and rented rooms on Airbnb	Receipts Corporate expenses Travel desk vendor
Garbage (waste)	3	Office waste or production and packaging waste that’s sent to a landfill Hazardous waste (such as medical waste) that gets incinerated Note: This activity includes garbage that’s sent to a landfill, but not waste that gets recycled or composted.	Waste hauler reports Conduct a waste audit
Paper consumption	3	Brochures, cards, or physical newsletters that are printed for marketing campaigns or subscription services Office printers, fax machines, and photocopiers	Summary reports, receipts, or order invoices from supplier or printer Weigh paper with a scale Find with tCO2e with online paper calculator
Refrigeration	3	Refrigerants in air conditioning and HVAC systems Industrial coolers, chillers, and refrigerators (just the refrigerant, not the electricity that powers the appliance) Refrigerated trucks (just the refrigerant, not the gas or fuel that powers the truck)	Supplier or maintenance provider invoices that include weight and type of GHG released (might be listed under top-ups) Property manager or landlord (if you’re leasing a location)
Other Scope 1 activities	1	Welding gas Gas for medical reasons, such as anesthesia Fertilizer Explosives	Contractor reports that include the type and amount of GHGs released Accounting department  Building or facilities maintenance  IT department
Other Scope 3 activities	3	A separate printer for clients  Hazardous waste incineration Email emissions Third party server emissions	Contractor reports that include the type and amount of GHGs released Accounting department  Building or facilities maintenance  IT department