The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative: GHG Emissions from Transport or Mobil Sources
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol tool for mobile combustion is a free Excel spreadsheet calculator designed to calculate GHG emissions specifically from mobile combustion sources, including vehicles under the direct control of the reporting entity as well as commuter travel and mobile machinery use. The methodologies embedded in the tool are based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Mobile emissions are classified as either scope 1 (direct) or 3 (indirect) emissions, depending on whether the entity reporting the emissions has financial or operational control of the vehicles producing the emissions. This calculator can be used to develop a GHG emissions baseline specifically for a community's mobile emissions sources and to develop annual inventories to assist in the tracking of emissions thereafter.
Inputs and Outputs
Inputs include: The user must input the region in which the mobile source is operated (US, UK, or other); the mode of transportation (e.g., road, rail, aircraft, water); and the emissions scope (i.e., scope 1 or scope 3). The user may input several types of activity data for each mobile source, including vehicle miles traveled, passenger miles traveled, weight distance (e.g., for freight travel), fuel use, or a combination. Vehicle type must also be specified. The user may also create custom fuel mixes and emission factors if in addition to the defaults incorporated into the spreadsheet.
Outputs include: The tool outputs greenhouse gas emissions (including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide equivalent, and biogenic carbon dioxide) for each vehicle. Emissions are also aggregated according to mode of transportation (road, rail water, and aircraft) and scope (scope 1 is reported separately from scope 3). Total emissions from all sources are also reported.
The GHG Protocol tool for mobile combustion uses IPCC and DEFRA (UK Dept. for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) emission factors and global warming potentials, so this tool may be used internationally.
This tool represents one of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative's several cross-sector spreadsheets that can be used separately or in conjunction to develop a GHG inventory of various emissions sources within a community. Separate calculators are available for emissions from purchased electricity, stationary combustion, refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, and several industrial sectors.