Methodology
How every figure is computed.
Verdant follows the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard. This page describes the factors it uses, how it handles Scope 2, why spend-based estimates carry lower confidence, and how it reports what is missing.
Last updated: July 2026
A carbon figure is only as good as the activity data and the emission factor behind it. Verdant is built so that both travel with the number. Every drafted figure shows the activity it came from, the factor applied, and the arithmetic, so a reviewer or an auditor can check it without leaving the report.
The three scopes
Verdant classifies each activity under the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard:
- Scope 1. Direct emissions from sources a company owns or controls: on-site fuel combustion, company vehicles, and fugitive emissions from refrigerants.
- Scope 2. Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling.
- Scope 3. Other indirect emissions across the value chain: business travel, purchased goods and services, upstream transport, waste, and more.
Emission factors
Verdant applies published factors appropriate to each activity and, where relevant, the region. The factor is named on every figure. A representative set:
| Activity | Factor | Source | Scope | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 5.302 kgCO2e / therm | EPA GHG Emission Factors Hub | 1 | High |
| Diesel (mobile) | 10.21 kgCO2e / gal | EPA GHG Emission Factors Hub | 1 | High |
| Gasoline (mobile) | 8.78 kgCO2e / gal | EPA GHG Emission Factors Hub | 1 | High |
| R-410A refrigerant | GWP 2,088 | IPCC AR5, 100-year | 1 | High |
| Purchased electricity | eGRID subregion factor | US EPA eGRID | 2 | High |
| Air travel | 0.158 kgCO2e / pax-mi | DEFRA / BEIS factors | 3 | Medium |
| Purchased goods | ~0.20 kgCO2e / $ | US EEIO (spend-based) | 3 | Low |
Factor libraries are versioned. When a source publishes an update (for example, a new eGRID release), the change is recorded so a prior report can be reproduced with the factors that were current when it was drafted.
Location-based and market-based Scope 2
The GHG Protocol asks for both a location-based Scope 2 figure, using the average emissions of the grid a facility sits on, and a market-based figure, reflecting the electricity a company has specifically procured, such as renewable energy certificates or a green tariff. Verdant drafts the location-based figure from grid factors by default. When you provide contract or certificate data, it drafts the market-based figure alongside it, and labels which is which.
Confidence, and why spend-based is lower
Not every factor is equal. Verdant labels each figure:
- High. Activity-based factors tied to a measured quantity, such as therms of gas or gallons of diesel.
- Medium. Average-data factors, such as distance-based travel, where the underlying mix is estimated.
- Low. Spend-based estimates, where dollars are converted with an environmentally extended input-output (EEIO) factor. These are useful for a first Scope 3 pass and should be refined with supplier-specific data over time.
Rounding and units
Figures are computed in kilograms of CO2e and reported in metric tonnes (tCO2e), rounded for legibility. The unrounded value and the full arithmetic are retained so totals reconcile and a figure can be traced exactly.
Gaps, not guesses
When a report would need data that is not present, Verdant names the gap rather than filling it. Common gaps include a market-based Scope 2 figure, Scope 3 categories beyond those provided, and a prior-year baseline for trend and target-setting. Naming gaps is part of an audit-ready draft, not a shortcoming to hide.
What this is, and is not
Verdant is a reporting copilot. It produces a sourced first draft to support your own reporting. It is not an auditor, an assurance provider, or a certification of compliance with any framework. Every figure should be reviewed before you file or disclose. See How the AI works for the drafting pipeline and Frameworks for what Verdant maps to today.