GHG Protocol
Scope 1 emissions
Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gas releases from sources owned or controlled by your organisation — on-site fuel combustion, company vehicles and fugitive refrigerants. They sit inside your operational boundary and are usually the first figures regulators and customers expect you to measure.
- Scope
- Scope 1
- Standard
- GHG Protocol Corporate Standard
- Published activities
- 14 activity pages
Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources, and the activity data that typically feeds a Scope 1 inventory.
Build Scope 1 from fuel invoices, meter reads and refrigerant records for assets you own or control. Stationary combustion, mobile combustion and fugitive gases are the usual pillars for SMEs.
Link each line to Activity Data Guide entries (gas, liquid fuels, refrigerants, owned vehicles) so units and subtypes stay consistent with the platform.
Related activity data
By activity data
By compliance framework
From the blog
Related articles
- Understanding Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 EmissionsWhen an organisation starts to measure its environmental impact, one of the first questions is: what’s the difference between Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions? Here’s a clear explanation.
- Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) ExplainedSECR is the UK’s greenhouse gas reporting scheme replacing the CRC. Here’s who needs to comply, what must be reported, and the benefits.
Frequently asked questions
- What counts as Scope 1?
- Scope 1 includes stationary combustion (for example natural gas boilers), mobile combustion in owned or controlled vehicles, process emissions where relevant, and fugitive emissions such as refrigerant leaks from HVAC or refrigeration equipment.
- What activity data do I need for Scope 1?
- Typical inputs are litres or kWh of fuel, kilometres in owned vehicles, and refrigerant top-up or leak quantities by gas type. Metered or invoice data is preferred over estimates.
- Is Scope 1 required under SECR?
- Quoted and large UK companies in scope of SECR must report Scope 1 (and Scope 2) energy use and emissions. Many SMEs report Scope 1 voluntarily for tenders, investors or Net Zero plans even when SECR does not apply.
- Are electric company cars Scope 1?
- Electricity for owned EVs is usually Scope 2 (or Category 3 upstream). Scope 1 covers combustion fuels in owned vehicles, not grid electricity.
- How do refrigerants enter Scope 1?
- Report fugitive emissions from top-ups or calculated leaks by gas type and GWP. Service records are the usual activity source.