Understanding GHG Boundaries According to ISO 14064-1
Updated on October 14, 2024

Understanding GHG Boundaries According to ISO 14064-1 #

Organizational Boundaries #

  • Definition: An organization must clearly define its boundaries.
  • Facilities: An organization may consist of multiple facilities.
  • GHG Sources and Sinks: Each facility may have various sources and sinks.
  • Consolidation: Organizations consolidate facility-level emissions and removals using:
  • Consistency: The chosen approach should align with the intended use of the GHG inventory.
  • Multiple Approaches: Different approaches may be used for varying reporting goals.

Reporting Boundaries #

Types of Direct GHG Emissions and Removals

Direct emission is defined as Category 1 under GHG emission

  1. Stationary Combustion:
    • Burning fuels (like fossil fuels or biomass) in fixed equipment like heaters, turbines, or boilers.
    • Examples: Generating heat, mechanical work, or steam.
  2. Mobile Combustion:
    • Burning fuels in transportation equipment like cars, trucks, ships, or airplanes.
    • Note: Emissions from vehicles outside the organization’s boundaries are considered indirect.
  3. Industrial Processes:
    • Emissions or removals that happen during industrial activities.
    • Examples: Cement production, chemical manufacturing, oil refining, carbon capture and storage.
  4. Fugitive Emissions:
    • Unintentional releases of GHGs from various systems.
    • Examples: Leaks from equipment, agricultural processes, waste decomposition.
  5. Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF):
    • Emissions or removals related to changes in land use and forest management.
    • Examples: Deforestation, reforestation, agricultural practices.

Note: Emissions from flaring or venting are considered direct, whether intentional or unintentional.

Quantification:

  • LULUCF emissions: Can be quantified over 20 years, either as a total or annually.
  • Marine areas: Limited information is available for quantifying emissions and removals related to marine areas.

In summary, direct GHG emissions and removals are those that occur within an organization’s boundaries and are under its control. Understanding these emissions is crucial for organizations to assess their environmental impact and take steps to reduce their carbon footprint.

  • Indirect Emissions:
    • Establish a process to determine significant indirect emissions.
    • Define pre-determined criteria for significance based on the intended use.
    • Identify and evaluate indirect emissions.
    • Quantify and report significant emissions.
    • Justify exclusions of significant indirect emissions.
    • Consider criteria like magnitude, influence, information access, data accuracy, risk assessment, buyer requirements, regulatory needs, stakeholder concerns, and scale of operation.
    • Periodically revise significance criteria.
Understanding Indirect Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Indirect emissions are greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced indirectly by an organization, meaning they occur outside the organization’s direct control. These emissions can come from various sources, including the energy used to power operations, transportation, and the production of products.
Here’s a breakdown of the different categories of indirect emissions from Category 2 to Category 6:

Category 2: Indirect Emissions from Purchased Energy
What it means: This includes the GHG emissions that happen when the energy used by an organization is produced elsewhere. For example, if a company uses electricity from a power plant that burns fossil fuels, the emissions from that power plant are considered indirect emissions for the company.
Examples: Emissions from electricity purchased from the grid, Emissions from imported steam, heating, cooling, or compressed air.

Category 3: Indirect Emissions from Transportation
What it means: This includes emissions from vehicles used by the organization or its employees and emissions related to the transportation of goods the organization buys or sells.
Examples: Emissions from company vehicles, Emissions from employee commuting and Emissions from transporting goods to and from the organization

Category 4: Indirect Emissions from Products Used by an Organization
What it means: This includes emissions that occur during the production, transportation, and disposal of goods purchased by the organization.
Examples: Emissions from the manufacturing of products the organization buys, Emissions from transporting materials used to make those products and Emissions from disposing of waste created by using those products

Category 5: Indirect Emissions Associated with the Use of Products from the Organization
What it means: This includes emissions that occur after the organization sells its products, such as when customers use the products or dispose of them.
Examples: Emissions from customers using products the organization sells and Emissions from disposing of products after they are no longer useful

Category 6: Indirect Emissions from Other Sources
What it means: This category includes any indirect emissions that don’t fit into the other categories.
Note: It’s important to avoid double-counting emissions. For example, if emissions from a vehicle are included in Category 3 (transportation), they shouldn’t also be included in Category 4 (products) if the vehicle was used to transport a product.

GHG Inventory Categories #

  • Organizational Level:
    • Category 1: Direct GHG emissions and removals.
    • Category 2: Indirect emissions from imported energy.
    • Category 3: Indirect emissions from transportation.
    • Category 4: Indirect emissions from products used by the organization.
    • Category 5: Indirect emissions associated with product use.
    • Category 6: Indirect emissions from other sources.
  • Separation: Separate non-biogenic, biogenic anthropogenic, and biogenic non-anthropogenic emissions.
  • Facility Level: Document categories separately at the facility level.
  • Subcategories: Subdivide emissions into subcategories consistent with the main categories.

By understanding these guidelines, organizations can effectively define their GHG boundaries and ensure accurate and comprehensive reporting in compliance with ISO 14064-1.

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