Analysis and calculations of emission factors for green house gases

An increased awareness about the global warming has created a demand for more information on how the climate is affected by different activities.This master thesis was initiated by Tricorona, a Swedish company that offers its customers analysis and calculation of their climate impact. Tricorona also supplies climate neutralisation with CERs, in accordance with the Kyoto protocol and controlled by the UN. This work demands updated emission factors for greenhouse gases. An emission factor gives information about the greenhouse gasintensity of a service or a product [kg CO2-eq./ functional unit].The purpose of this thesis is to examine how electricity, district heating, hotels, taxis, food and materials affect the climate and how emission factors for these areas can be calculated.This was done by reviewing and comparing different studies and by interviewing experts. The information was evaluated and recommendations on calculations and emission factors were made.The consumption of energy is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions for district heating, electricity, hotels, taxis and materials. For food production the biogenic greenhousegas emissions are also important, such as the emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide from land use and the methane emissions from ruminants.For climate impact assessment of electricity, district heating, hotels and taxis it is recommended that the calculations should be based on an average consumption of energy. All types of energy carriers should be included in the calculations and the emission factors used should be based on Life Cycle Assessments. Climate impact assessments based on energy consumption is a simplification that underestimates the real greenhouse gas emissions. The recommended emission factors are associated with some uncertainties that originate from the quality of the data used, the assumptions made and the system boundaries that were chosen.Despite that, the recommended emission factors can be considered representative since they are based on the best available data. For food and materials it is recommended that emissionfactors from Life Cycle Inventories should be used.