Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What Is a Carbon Footprint and How Is It Calculated?

A carbon footprint represents the total amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated — both directly and indirectly — by an organization, product, or activity. It is expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e) and encompasses emissions from energy use, transportation, purchased goods, business travel, and other operational activities.

To calculate a carbon footprint, organizations identify emission sources, collect activity data (such as fuel consumption, electricity use, or supplier purchases), and apply standardized emission factors. Frameworks like the GHG Protocol define how these emissions are categorized into:

• Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources
• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased energy
• Scope 3: Indirect emissions across the full value chain

Origin Ledgers automates this process end-to-end. The platform’s AI-powered agents extract and interpret data from invoices, spreadsheets, and other documents, map it to verified emission factors, and produce precise, standards-aligned carbon footprints — faster, more accurate, and fully audit-ready.

How Accurate Are Trade Room's GHG Calculations — and How Is This Ensured?

Trade Room delivers high-precision GHG calculations grounded in years of carbon accounting expertise and built on industry-recognized methodologies.

Our Accuracy Framework Includes:

• Comprehensive Scope Coverage — Full calculation capability across Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
• Extensive Emission Factor Library — Access to 500,000+ verified emission factors from globally recognized databases, continuously updated for precision.
• Custom Emission Factor Support — Integrate supplier-specific or operation-specific data for greater contextual accuracy.
• Data Quality Ratings — Tiered quality indicators to assess and communicate data confidence and reliability.
• Global Standards Alignment — Methodologies fully aligned with the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064 standards.

From data input to final output, every figure in Trade Room is traceable, verifiable, and audit-ready — ensuring results you can stand behind with confidence.

How Can I Customize Emission Factors in Trade Room, and Why Does It Matter?

Emission Factor (EF) customization is available in Enterprise plans — allowing you to tailor your carbon calculations to reflect specific suppliers, regions, or operational parameters. This feature is key to improving the accuracy, credibility, and regulatory compliance of your GHG inventory, particularly for organizations in complex or highly regulated sectors.

Enterprise Plan

Leverage AI-driven EF matching for automated accuracy. The Trade Room Climate Analyst Agent intelligently selects the most suitable emission factor from a database of 500,000+ verified entries. Users can still define and prioritize custom factors when supplier-specific or internal data is available.

Unlock full customization capabilities with onboarding and configuration support. Enterprise users can apply internal methodologies, integrate proprietary datasets, or add custom validation logic for sector-specific compliance.

How Does the Emission Factor Library Work, and Which Databases Are Included?

The Origin Ledgers Emission Factor (EF) Library provides access to more than 500,000 verified emission factors sourced from the world’s most trusted environmental and regulatory databases — enabling accurate, current, and standards-aligned GHG calculations.

How It Works

• The Origin Ledgers EF Engine connects directly to multiple authoritative databases, ensuring that every calculation is grounded in the latest available science and regulatory data.
• Emission factors are automatically updated as source databases release new versions.
• Users can search, filter, and select factors by source, sector, region, or year to ensure full methodological transparency.
• All calculations remain traceable, with clear documentation of the EF source and version used.

Included Databases

Origin Ledgers integrates data from a wide range of globally recognized sources, including:

• DEFRA – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (UK)
• IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• Ecoinvent
• EPA – Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.)
• EEA – European Environment Agency
• Base Carbone™ (ADEME)
• CBAM – Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
• GLEC – Global Logistics Emissions Council
• EXIOBASE
• EIME – Environmental Improvement Made Easy
• AusLCI – Australian National Life Cycle Inventory Database
• ProBas – German Federal Environmental Agency
• 3EID
• BUWAL
• Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)
• Canadian Raw Materials Database
• CEDA
• Building Research Establishment (BRE)
• CCaLC – Carbon Calculations over the Life Cycle of Industrial Activities
• ESU-services (extension of ecoinvent 2.2)
• CGA, ECI, FEFCO, GEMIS, GREET, BEAT, IDEA, SALCA, and the IEA GHG Program

What is the difference between Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions?

These three scopes are defined by the GHG Protocol to help organizations categorize their emissions sources:

• Scope 1 – Direct emissions: Emissions from sources you own or control directly (e.g. company vehicles, on-site fuel combustion, industrial processes).
• Scope 2 – Indirect energy emissions: Emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, heating, cooling, or steam consumed by your organization.
• Scope 3 – Indirect value chain emissions: All other indirect emissions that occur in your value chain — from supplier activities to product use, business travel, employee commuting, waste, and more.

Scope 1 and 2 are typically easier to measure, while Scope 3 requires deeper data collection and supplier engagement — but is essential for understanding your full climate impact.

Why is carbon accounting important for companies?

Carbon accounting enables companies to understand, manage, and reduce their environmental impact. It supports compliance with emerging regulations (like CBAM and CSRD), meets investor and stakeholder expectations, and strengthens climate-related disclosures (e.g. CDP, IFRS, SBTi). It also helps identify emission hotspots, cut costs, and build credibility in sustainability communications.

How to measure and report an organization's carbon footprint?

Measuring a carbon footprint involves three key steps:

1. Identify emission sources across your operations and value chain — including direct fuel use (Scope 1), purchased electricity (Scope 2), and upstream/downstream activities (Scope 3).
2. Collect activity data, such as utility bills, fuel records, procurement spend, or logistics volumes.
3. Apply emission factors from recognized databases to calculate total emissions in CO₂ equivalents.

To report your footprint:

• Organize emissions data by scope and category using frameworks like the GHG Protocol or ISO 14064.
• Report through voluntary platforms such as CDP questionnaires or include disclosures in mandatory reports under regulations like CSRD (or IFRS S2 where adopted).

With Origin Ledgers, measuring and reporting your footprint becomes a guided, automated process. Emission sources and activity data are uploaded or auto extracted, then matched to the right scopes and emission factors by AI Agents. The Reporting Officer ensures all outputs are structured under recognized standards like the GHG Protocol or ISO 14064 and generates audit-ready reports or exports with a single prompt. Instead of chasing data and formatting disclosures, your team moves directly from raw files to credible, regulator-ready results.

How does carbon management align with corporate sustainability strategy?

Carbon management is a foundational pillar of any corporate sustainability strategy. It enables organizations to quantify their climate impact, set reduction targets, and demonstrate tangible progress toward environmental goals. When integrated effectively, it enhances ESG performance, supports credible disclosures (e.g. CDP, TCFD), and strengthens reputation with customers, partners, and investors.

How to integrate carbon management into corporate sustainability goals?

Integration starts with calculating your carbon footprint across Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. From there, companies can define reduction targets (e.g. SBTi), align actions with broader ESG and net zero commitments, and embed tracking into regular reporting cycles. Origin Ledgers simplifies this process by centralizing data, automating calculations, and ensuring outputs are audit ready and aligned with global standards.

How is carbon management done according to standards like ISO 14064 or the GHG Protocol?

Standards like GHG Protocol and ISO 14064 provide a structured framework for measuring, managing, and reporting greenhouse gas emissions. They guide organizations to:

• Define boundaries (organizational and operational)
• Categorize emissions into Scope 1, 2, and 3 (GHG)
• Collect activity data and apply recognized emission factors
• Document methodologies and ensure data traceability
• Disclose results in a transparent, verifiable format

Origin Ledgers is built to follow these standards by default — from data input to report generation — ensuring that your carbon accounting aligns with international best practices and is ready for assurance or regulatory use.

What is REC? How can I integrate it with Origin Ledgers?

REC stands for Renewable Energy Certificate. It is a standardized and globally recognized system for tracking renewable energy production and consumption. REC certificates represent proof that 1 MWh of electricity was generated from renewable energy sources and can be used to offset emissions by organizations aiming to meet net zero goals.

To integrate REC Data with Origin Ledgers:

1. Go to the ‘RECs’ tab in the Origin Ledgers platform.
2. Upload your REC data to include previously purchased REC certificates in your emission calculations.
3. Automatic integration: Origin Ledgers will automatically factor in your REC data and calculate market and location-based Scope 2 electricity emissions for accurate reporting.

This ensures that your emissions accounting reflects the impact of renewable energy use in a transparent and verifiable manner.

How does Origin Ledgers protect my data?

Origin Ledgers employs multiple layers of security to protect your data, including:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted both in transit and at rest using industry-standard encryption protocols.
• Secure Access Controls: Access to data is restricted through role-based permissions and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive information.
• Regular Security Audits: Routine security assessments and vulnerability scans are conducted to identify and address potential threats.

How do I input data for Scope 1, 2, and 3 calculations?

Origin Ledgers simplifies the process of inputting data for Scope 1, 2, and 3 calculations, ensuring you can efficiently and accurately track your emissions.

Here’s how you can enter your data:

1. Start by choosing the standard type that best suits your needs, whether GHG Protocol, ISO standards, or a source-based approach.
2. You can define specific categories and emission sources for each location you create. This structured approach ensures that your data is organized and easily manageable.
3. Choose your data entry method:
   • Users can input data directly into the platform, allowing for single entries at a time. This method is ideal for smaller datasets or when making quick updates.
   • Import existing data from spreadsheets or other sources, streamlining the process and minimizing the need for manual input.
4. Data can be specified for any time period that suits your reporting needs, whether daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.

Also, Origin Ledgers provides detailed guidance and support within the platform to help you accurately input your data. Help sections, tutorials, and customer support are readily available to ensure you have all the necessary resources.

How can I provide feedback on Origin Ledgers?

You can provide feedback on Origin Ledgers through multiple channels:

• Email: Send your feedback directly to our support team at contact@originledgers.com.
• User Surveys: Participate in surveys regularly shared by Origin Ledgers to provide feedback and share your experience.

Is my company’s data kept confidential?

Yes, Origin Ledgers is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your company’s data. This includes:

• Strict Privacy Policies: We follow rigorous privacy policies to guarantee that your data will not be shared with third parties without your explicit consent.
• Confidentiality Agreements: We implement confidentiality agreements with all employees and partners who have access to sensitive data.
• Compliance with Local Regulations: We ensure compliance with data protection regulations relevant to your country or region, such as GDPR in Europe.

How does Origin Ledgers ensure responsible AI usage?

Origin Ledgers is committed to responsible AI usage by:

• Ethical AI Practices: Adhering to ethical guidelines and principles for AI development and deployment to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability.
• Bias Mitigation: Implementing measures to identify and reduce biases in AI models and algorithms to ensure equitable outcomes.
• Continuous Monitoring: Regularly monitoring AI systems to ensure they operate as intended and make necessary adjustments to address any issues.
• User Control: Providing users with control over AI-powered features and ensuring they can override automated decisions if needed.