How do we calculate your number?
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Transport
Car, SUV, People Mover, Motorbike
Calculations are based on emissions factors from the 2021 Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors. Average distances have been sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Survey of Motor Vehicle Use 2020. Average fuel economy has been calculated based on data from the Australian Government’s Green Vehicle Guide.
Public Transport
Calculations for taxi/rideshare travel are based on emissions factors from the 2021 Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors and data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Survey of Motor Vehicle Use 2020 and the Australian Government’s Green Vehicle Guide.
Calculations for bus, tram, train and ferry calculations are based on the Australian Government’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2021, the City of Melbourne’s Transport Strategy Refresh, and the UK Government’s GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting 2021.
Energy
Calculations are based on emissions factors from the 2020 Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors. Averages consumption values have been calculated based on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Household and Family Projections 2016 to 2041 and the Department of the Environment and Energy’s Australian Energy Update 2020.
Solar Panels
Solar panels can significantly reduce the amount of electricity a household imports from the grid. However, due to the inherent timing mismatch between peak electricity consumption (mornings and evenings) and peak solar electricity generation (daylight hours), most households still require some amount of grid electricity to supplement their energy needs.
The electricity that a household imports from the grid (regardless of whether it is solar energy or not) has an associated emissions intensity. Emissions can be calculated by applying the grid emissions factor to the imported kWh value.
The energy a household consumes behind the meter (i.e. from home solar generation) cannot be calculated from the electricity bill alone, however is reflected in the reduced kWh import from the grid.
In many cases, some of the energy produced by a household’s solar system is exported back to the grid. This low carbon energy has already been accounted for with the forfeit of your STCs, registered with the Clean Energy Regulator’s REC Registry, at the point of purchase of your solar system. As such , this exported energy should not be applied as a “credit” to your household’s total carbon footprint as it would be a case of double counting.
In the case that you do not forfeit your STCs to your solar provider, please contact us and we can assist you to calculate the emissions from your electricity use.
Water
Calculations are based on emissions factors from the 2021 Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors. Average water consumption has been calculated based on data from the Bureau of Meteorology’s National Performance Report 2019-20: Urban Water Utilities.
Travel
Calculations for air and train travel are based on emissions factors from the UK Government’s GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting 2020. Average travel speed is based on data from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute and is taken to be 835 km/hr and 250 km/hr for air and train travel, respectively.
Calculations for cruise ships are based on emissions factors from the research paper ‘Carbon emissions from international cruise ship passengers‘ travel to and from New Zealand’ by Howitt et. al. Average cruising speed is taken to be 20 knots. Average time spent cruising is taken to be 12 hours/day.
Road Trips
Calculations for road trips are based on emissions factors from the 2021 Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors. Average fuel economy has been calculated based on data from the Australian Government’s Green Vehicle Guide.
Coach, Air and Train
Calculations for coach, air and train travel are based on emissions factors from the UK Government’s GHG Conversion Factors for Company Reporting 2021. Average travel speed is taken to be 80km/hr, 835km/hr and 250km/hr for coach, air and train travel, respectively.
Cruise Ship
Calculations for cruise ships are based on emissions factors from the research paper ‘Carbon emissions from international cruise ship passengers‘ travel to and from New Zealand’ by Howitt et. al. Average cruising speed is taken to be 20 knots. Average time spent cruising is taken to be 12 hours/day.
Food & Drink
Calculations are based on emissions factors from Life Cycle Strategies’ Food, Grocery & Services Footprint Calculator. Average food spend has been calculated based on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Household Expenditure Survey 2015-16. Figures have been adjusted for inflation using the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Inflation Calculator.
Waste
Calculations are based on emissions factors from the 2021 Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors. Volume to weight conversions have been calculated using the South Australian Government’s Green Industries Solid Waste and Recycling Reporting Template.
