Methodology
DEFRA 2025 Emission Factors: What They Are and How They Work
Published by Leveromate · Updated February 2026 · 5 min read
What Is DEFRA?
DEFRA stands for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs — a department of the UK Government. Each year, DEFRA publishes a comprehensive set of greenhouse gas conversion factors that allow organisations to convert activity data into greenhouse gas emissions.
What Are Emission Factors?
An emission factor is a coefficient that converts a unit of activity into kilograms of CO₂ equivalent (kgCO₂e). For example:
- 1 kWh of UK grid electricity = 0.20707 kgCO₂e (DEFRA 2025)
- 1 litre of diesel = 2.51233 kgCO₂e (DEFRA 2025)
- 1 tonne of general waste to landfill = 446.242 kgCO₂e (DEFRA 2025)
The formula is straightforward: Activity Data × Emission Factor = Emissions (kgCO₂e)
What Does DEFRA 2025 Cover?
The DEFRA 2025 conversion factors cover:
- Fuels — Natural gas, LPG, diesel, petrol, fuel oil, coal, and more
- Electricity — UK grid, overseas grids, and transmission/distribution losses
- Transport — Road vehicles, rail, sea freight, air freight (by distance and vehicle type)
- Materials — Construction materials, metals, plastics, paper, glass, and food/drink
- Waste — Landfill, recycling, incineration, composting, and anaerobic digestion
- Water — Supply and treatment
- Hotel stays — By country
Why Are DEFRA Factors Used Internationally?
Although published by the UK Government, DEFRA emission factors are used worldwide because:
- They are publicly available and free to use
- They are updated annually with the latest climate science
- They cover a broad range of activities relevant to most businesses
- They are accepted by auditors and recognised in EU CSRD/ESRS E1 reporting
- They include CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O greenhouse gases as CO₂ equivalent
How SupplierDataStatement.com Uses DEFRA 2025
SupplierDataStatement.com applies DEFRA 2025 emission factors deterministically in its calculation engine. For each calculation line, the generated statement cites:
- The specific emission factor value (kgCO₂e per unit)
- The source (e.g., "DEFRA 2025, Table: Fuels, Row: Natural Gas")
- The formula used (Activity × Factor = Emissions)
- The resulting emissions in tCO₂e
This level of citation is what makes the output audit-defensible — an auditor can trace every number back to its source.
DEFRA vs. US EPA vs. GHG Protocol
| Source | Publisher | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|
| DEFRA 2025 | UK Government | Broad activity-based factors (energy, transport, waste, materials) |
| US EPA | US Government | US-specific factors (grid electricity, stationary combustion) |
| GHG Protocol | WRI / WBCSD | Methodology framework and cross-sector calculation tools |
SupplierDataStatement.com uses all three sources to ensure comprehensive coverage and audit-defensibility.
About SupplierDataStatement.com
SupplierDataStatement.com is built by Leveromate, a technology company based in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. $2,500 per statement. Contact: support@leveromate.com.