Fugitive emissions describe the direct emissions released to the environment from various categories of cooling equipment and processes (e.g. refrigerators, air-conditioning).
There are three Fugitive Emissions calculation methods to choose from:
Mass and type of refrigerant uses the weight and type of refrigerant used in your cooling equipment.(Recommended)
Number of cooling equipment units uses the number of cooling equipment units per equipment type and whether they were in operation, installed, or disposed of in the given time period.
Bring Your Own Emissions uses emission values that you provide yourself. Check out our step-by-step guides to uploading both calculation methods.
Where possible, we recommend using a combination of calculation methods to get as precise as possible emission calculations. It is recommended that you record the one-off ‘installation’ and ‘disposal’ events of your cooling equipment using the number of cooling equipment units calculation method. Then, we recommend recording your ‘in operation’ emissions using the 'mass and refrigerant type’ method, as this yields the most accurate results.
We recommend calculation methods based on their accuracy, but ultimately, you should choose a method that fits the data you have access to.
Step-by-Step: Format Mass and Type of Refrigerant Used (Recommended)
Step-by-Step: Format Mass and Type of Refrigerant Used (Recommended)
There are several ways to enter your data. Regardless of which method you choose, you must include all required information to ensure accurate emissions calculations. Below, we’ve listed the key data points you need to include.
Column A: start_date
The first date of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column B: end_date
The last date of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column C: location
The ISO-3166 alpha-2 code of the country where the cooling equipment is located (e.g., DE).
This field is mandatory.
Column D: facility_name
The facility that the respective emissions should be allocated to.
Make sure to apply exactly the same names you set here to all the other templates asking for a "facility_name" input.
Column E: value
The total mass of the refrigerant leaked by your cooling equipment in your chosen measurement unit.
Numbers should be formatted using numeric values only and using a dot as the decimal separator (e.g. 25634.20).
This field is mandatory.
Column F: value.unit
The unit the refrigerant is weighed in. Choose from:
kg (kilogram)
lb (pound)
t (metric tonne = 1000 kgs)
ton (short ton = 2000 lbs)
This field is mandatory.
Column G: refrigerant_type
The type of refrigerant used by your cooling equipment.
Choose from:
HCFC-22
HCFC-225ca
HCFC-225cb
HFC-134a
HFC-32
R-404A
R-407C
R-410A
R-507A
This field is mandatory.
Step-by-Step: Format Number of Cooling Equipment Units
Step-by-Step: Format Number of Cooling Equipment Units
The installation and disposal of cooling equipment causes a spike in fugitive emissions.
In order to track these emissions accurately please record 'installation' and 'disposal' events within a calendar month time frame. For example, if you installed a new fridge in January 2023, ensure that the start and end dates for the associated data fall within the month of January.
Data for cooling equipment thats in 'operation' can span across multiple months.
There are several ways to enter your data. Regardless of which method you choose, you must include all required information to ensure accurate emissions calculations. Below, we’ve listed the key data points you need to include.
Column A: start_date
The first date of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column B: end_date
The last date of your data period.
If you are recording data for an 'installation' or 'disposal' of a unit please contain this data within a calendar month time frame. This is to ensure we are accurately calculating the spike in emissions caused by installation and disposal events.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column C: location
The ISO-3166 alpha-2 code of the country where the cooling equipment is installed, operated or disposed (e.g., DE).
This field is mandatory.
Column D: facility_name
The facility that the respective emissions should be allocated to.
Make sure to apply exactly the same names you set here to all the other templates asking for a "facility_name" input.
Column E: value
Number of units: The number of units installed, disposed or operated for the given timeframe and cooling equipment category + subcategory.
Numbers should be formatted using numeric values only and using a dot as the decimal separator (e.g. 25634.20).
This field is mandatory.
Column F: category
Select the category (type) of cooling equipment that you are entering data for. You can see a full list of all categories on the Fugitive Emissions Categories and Subcategories article, and choose from the following:
domestic refrigeration
commercial refrigeration
industrial refrigeration
transport refrigeration
small self contained air conditioning
small split air conditioning
larger split air conditioning and other types of air to air systems
chiller systems
mobile air conditioning
If you are using the template downloaded as an excel from the platform, you will be able to select the input from a drop-down.
This field is mandatory.
Column G: lifecycle
Select the stage of the lifecycle that the cooling equipment unit is in for the given timeframe, you can choose from the following:
installation (when a new cooling equipment is installed)
disposal (when a new cooling equipment is taken out or replaced)
operation (the period that a cooling equipment is in operation)
If you are using the template downloaded as an excel from the platform, you will be able to select the input from a drop-down.
This field is mandatory.
Column H: subcategory
The further specified subcategory of the cooling equipment selected in the category.
For each category there is one or multiple subcategories as listed below and explained on the Fugitive Emissions Categories and Subcategories article.
domestic refrigeration
refrigerators and freezers
commercial refrigeration
stand alone factory sealed equipment
condensing units
centralised systems
industrial refrigeration
small or medium sized systems
large distributed systems
large chiller systems
transport refrigeration
road vehicles
intermodal containers
ships
small self contained air conditioning
portable systems window units through the wall units packaged terminal units
small split air conditioning
single split air conditioning less 12kW
larger split air conditioning and other types of air to air systems
larger single split and multi split air conditioning
variable refrigerant flow systems
ducted and packaged rooftop systems
chiller systems
small and medium sized chillers
large chillers
mobile air conditioning
cars and small vans
larger vehicles
You can select unknown if the subcategory is not known.
If you are using the template downloaded as an excel from the platform, you will be able to select the input from a drop-down.
This field is mandatory.
Optional tags
As always, you can add optional columns for company specific tags.
Learn more about how tags work: Tag Your Data.
Step-by-Step: Format BYOE
Step-by-Step: Format BYOE
There are several ways to enter your data. Regardless of which method you choose, you must include all required information to ensure accurate emissions calculations. Below, we’ve listed the key data points you need to include.
Column A: start_date
The first day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column B: end_date
The last day of your data period. It can be the same as the start date if you are entering data for just one day.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column C: location
The ISO-3166 alpha-2 code of the country where the emissions occurred (e.g., DE).
This field is mandatory.
Column D: facility_name
The facility that the respective emissions should be allocated to.
Make sure to apply exactly the same names you set here to all the other templates asking for a "facility_name" input.
Column E: value
Your own emissions in kg CO₂e.
Numbers should be formatted using numeric values only and using a dot as the decimal separator (e.g. 25634.20).
This field is mandatory.
Optional tags
As always, you can add optional columns for company specific tags.
Learn more about how tags work: Tag Your Data.
Reminder: It is not Plan A’s responsibility to ensure the calculation of those 3rd parties are in accordance with the GHG Protocol. There is no verification or validation of BOYE emissions through Plan A.