The quality of a footprint depends mostly on the factors: their source, year, geography and whether they describe the real product or a sector average. A calculation should therefore state which factor each element uses and where it comes from.
Glossary
Emission factor
An emission factor is the coefficient that converts activity data, such as a kilo of material, a kWh or a tonne-kilometre, into greenhouse gas emissions, usually in kgCO2e.
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Physical factor
A physical, or activity-based, factor expresses emissions per physical unit: kgCO2e per kilo of material, per kWh of energy or per tonne-kilometre of transport.
Spend-based factor
A spend-based, or economic, factor estimates emissions by multiplying the amount of a purchase by a sector-average kgCO2e per euro.
Physical vs spend factors
Differences between spend-based and physical emission factors: how they are calculated, what errors they cause and when each fits for products and Scope 3.
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