Methodology
Emission Factors & Sources
Every emission factor used in the Carboscope calculator is documented below. For individuals, we source from ADEME Base Empreinte and Ecoinvent 3.9. For businesses, we apply GHG Protocol + ADEME methodology.
Carboscope provides a carbon diagnostic, not a certified Bilan Carbone® or a regulatory audit. A quick, transparent first measure — not a substitute for a certified audit when you need one.
Transport
| Factor | Value | Unit | Source | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol car / Voiture essence / Benzin-Pkw | 0.210 | kg CO₂eq / km | ADEME Base Empreinte | 2023 | Average European petrol passenger car |
| Diesel car / Voiture diesel / Diesel-Pkw | 0.170 | kg CO₂eq / km | ADEME Base Empreinte | 2023 | Average European diesel passenger car |
| Hybrid car / Voiture hybride / Hybrid-Pkw | 0.110 | kg CO₂eq / km | ADEME Base Empreinte | 2023 | PHEV/HEV average |
| Electric vehicle / Véhicule électrique / Elektrofahrzeug | 0.050 | kg CO₂eq / km | ADEME Base Empreinte | 2023 | EU average electricity grid mix |
| Short-haul flight / Vol court-courrier / Kurzstreckenflug | 0.255 | kg CO₂eq / km / pax | ADEME Base Empreinte | 2023 | Under 3h, economy class, avg ~1,500 km |
| Long-haul flight / Vol long-courrier / Langstreckenflug | 0.195 | kg CO₂eq / km / pax | ADEME Base Empreinte | 2023 | Over 6h, economy class, avg ~7,000 km |
Home Energy
| Factor | Value | Unit | Source | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity (EU grid) / Électricité (mix UE) / Strom (EU-Netz) | 0.233 | kg CO₂eq / kWh | ADEME Base Empreinte | 2023 | EU 27 average residual mix |
| Natural gas / Gaz naturel / Erdgas | 0.202 | kg CO₂eq / kWh | ADEME Base Empreinte | 2023 | Combustion + upstream emissions |
Diet
| Factor | Value | Unit | Source | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat-heavy diet / Régime très carné / Fleischreiche Ernährung | 3,300 | kg CO₂eq / yr | ADEME Base Empreinte & Ecoinvent 3.9 | 2023 | Red meat most days — annual total |
| Mixed omnivore / Régime omnivore / Gemischte Ernährung | 2,500 | kg CO₂eq / yr | ADEME Base Empreinte & Ecoinvent 3.9 | 2023 | Meat a few times per week — annual total |
| Vegetarian diet / Régime végétarien / Vegetarische Ernährung | 1,700 | kg CO₂eq / yr | ADEME Base Empreinte & Ecoinvent 3.9 | 2023 | No meat, dairy and eggs included — annual total |
| Vegan diet / Régime vegan / Vegane Ernährung | 1,500 | kg CO₂eq / yr | ADEME Base Empreinte & Ecoinvent 3.9 | 2023 | No animal products — annual total |
Shopping
| Factor | Value | Unit | Source | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low consumer / Consommateur faible / Wenig-Konsument | 1,000 | kg CO₂eq / yr | Ecoinvent 3.9 | 2023 | Second-hand, minimal new goods — annual total |
| Average consumer / Consommateur moyen / Durchschnittskonsument | 2,500 | kg CO₂eq / yr | Ecoinvent 3.9 | 2023 | Typical spending on clothes, tech, household goods — annual total |
| High consumer / Consommateur élevé / Viel-Konsument | 5,000 | kg CO₂eq / yr | Ecoinvent 3.9 | 2023 | Frequent new purchases, latest gadgets, fashion — annual total |
Primary Sources
ADEME Base EmpreinteIndividuals & Businesses
The French environmental agency's official emission factor database, covering transport, energy, diet, and goods.
Ecoinvent 3.9Individuals (diet & shopping)
Swiss lifecycle inventory database providing emission factors for food products and consumer goods.
GHG ProtocolBusinesses only
The global standard for corporate greenhouse gas accounting, used for Scope 1, 2 & 3 business calculations.
Note on Scopes: Scope 1, 2 & 3 classifications apply to organisations, not individuals. For personal carbon footprints, we use ADEME Base Empreinte and Ecoinvent life-cycle emission factors, which embed upstream emissions. Scope 1/2/3 reporting is available in the Business Diagnostic only.