UK emission factors 2026

The UK government (DESNZ) emission factor for each activity a UK business usually reports, from electricity and fuel to flights, waste and refrigerants. Each page shows every year from 2002 to 2026, which scope it belongs to and a worked example.

Sites outside the UK? See electricity factors by country, the hotel stay factor for 37 countries, and official factors for the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Looking factors up one by one? Carbon Recycling applies the right one to every line of your bills, mileage and travel, then writes your Carbon Reduction Plan and SECR report.

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Energy and fuel

Activity	2026 (kg CO2e)	Per	Scope
UK grid electricity	0.13096	kWh	Scope 2
Natural gas	0.18231	kWh	Scope 1
Diesel (forecourt)	2.5835	litre	Scope 1
Petrol (forecourt)	2.0750	litre	Scope 1
LPG	1.5571	litre	Scope 1
Heating oil (kerosene)	2.5402	litre	Scope 1
Gas oil (red diesel)	2.7554	litre	Scope 1
Propane	1.5436	litre	Scope 1
Butane	1.7453	litre	Scope 1
Fuel oil	3,228.9	tonne	Scope 1
Industrial coal	2,415.0	tonne	Scope 1
District heat and steam	0.17529	kWh	Scope 2

Vehicles

Activity	2026 (kg CO2e)	Per	Scope
Average diesel car	0.27786	mile	Scope 1
Average petrol car	0.25993	mile	Scope 1
Average hybrid car	0.20857	mile	Scope 1
Average battery electric car	0.043220	mile	Scope 2
Average diesel van (up to 3.5 tonnes)	0.41386	mile	Scope 1
Average battery electric van	0.068560	mile	Scope 2
Average car (fuel unknown)	0.26699	mile	Scope 1
Average plug-in hybrid car	0.15823	mile	Scope 1 and Scope 2
Small petrol car	0.22943	mile	Scope 1
Medium petrol car	0.28020	mile	Scope 1
Large petrol car	0.42817	mile	Scope 1
Small diesel car	0.23058	mile	Scope 1
Medium diesel car	0.27696	mile	Scope 1
Large diesel car	0.33643	mile	Scope 1
Average petrol van (up to 3.5 tonnes)	0.33643	mile	Scope 1

Business travel

Activity	2026 (kg CO2e)	Per	Scope
Domestic flights	0.22928	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
Short-haul flights (UK to Europe)	0.12786	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
Long-haul flights	0.15282	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
National rail	0.030920	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
Average local bus	0.10151	passenger km	Scope 3, category 7
Regular taxi	0.20806	km	Scope 3, category 6
UK hotel stay	10.400	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Homeworking	0.32393	full-time-equivalent working hour	Scope 3, category 7
London Underground	0.015490	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
Light rail and tram	0.021210	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
International rail (Eurostar)	0.011350	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
Coach	0.039480	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
London bus	0.063600	passenger km	Scope 3, category 7
Black cab	0.30604	km	Scope 3, category 6
Long-haul economy flights	0.11704	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
Long-haul premium economy flights	0.18726	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
Long-haul business class flights	0.33940	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
Long-haul first class flights	0.46814	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
Short-haul economy flights	0.12576	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6
Short-haul business class flights	0.18863	passenger km	Scope 3, category 6

Hotel stays by country

Activity	2026 (kg CO2e)	Per	Scope
London hotel stay	11.500	room night	Scope 3, category 6
France hotel stay	6.7000	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Germany hotel stay	13.200	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Spain hotel stay	7.0000	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Netherlands hotel stay	14.800	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Italy hotel stay	14.300	room night	Scope 3, category 6
United States hotel stay	16.100	room night	Scope 3, category 6
United Arab Emirates hotel stay	63.800	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Belgium hotel stay	12.200	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Switzerland hotel stay	6.6000	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Portugal hotel stay	19.000	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Turkey hotel stay	32.100	room night	Scope 3, category 6
India hotel stay	58.900	room night	Scope 3, category 6
China hotel stay	53.500	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Hong Kong hotel stay	51.500	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Japan hotel stay	39.000	room night	Scope 3, category 6
South Korea hotel stay	55.800	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Singapore hotel stay	24.500	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Malaysia hotel stay	61.500	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Thailand hotel stay	43.400	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Vietnam hotel stay	38.500	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Indonesia hotel stay	62.700	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Philippines hotel stay	54.300	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Maldives hotel stay	152.20	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Australia hotel stay	35.000	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Canada hotel stay	7.4000	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Mexico hotel stay	19.300	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Brazil hotel stay	8.7000	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Chile hotel stay	27.600	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Colombia hotel stay	14.700	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Costa Rica hotel stay	4.7000	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Saudi Arabia hotel stay	106.40	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Qatar hotel stay	86.200	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Oman hotel stay	90.300	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Jordan hotel stay	68.900	room night	Scope 3, category 6
Egypt hotel stay	44.200	room night	Scope 3, category 6
South Africa hotel stay	51.400	room night	Scope 3, category 6

Waste and water

Activity	2026 (kg CO2e)	Per	Scope
Commercial waste to landfill	520.58	tonne	Scope 3, category 5
Mixed paper and card recycling	4.6536	tonne	Scope 3, category 5
Commercial waste to energy recovery	4.6536	tonne	Scope 3, category 5
Water supply	0.19130	cubic metre	Scope 3, category 1
Wastewater treatment	0.17088	cubic metre	Scope 3, category 5
Food waste to anaerobic digestion	9.0069	tonne	Scope 3, category 5
Food waste to composting	9.0069	tonne	Scope 3, category 5
Mixed plastics recycling	4.6536	tonne	Scope 3, category 5
Glass recycling	4.6536	tonne	Scope 3, category 5
Scrap metal recycling	4.6536	tonne	Scope 3, category 5
Electrical equipment (WEEE) recycling	4.6536	tonne	Scope 3, category 5
Wood waste recycling	4.6536	tonne	Scope 3, category 5
Construction waste recycling	1.0140	tonne	Scope 3, category 5

Freight

Activity	2026 (kg CO2e)	Per	Scope
Average HGV (road freight)	0.10356	tonne km	Scope 3, category 4
Average refrigerated HGV	0.12122	tonne km	Scope 3, category 4
Container ship freight	0.016120	tonne km	Scope 3, category 4
Long-haul air freight	0.89939	tonne km	Scope 3, category 4
Diesel van freight	0.63511	tonne km	Scope 3, category 4
Short-haul air freight	1.2784	tonne km	Scope 3, category 4
General cargo ship freight	0.013210	tonne km	Scope 3, category 4

Refrigerants

Activity	2026 (kg CO2e)	Per	Scope
R410A refrigerant	1,924.0	kg	Scope 1
R32 refrigerant	677.00	kg	Scope 1
R404A refrigerant	3,943.0	kg	Scope 1
R134a refrigerant	1,300.0	kg	Scope 1
R407C refrigerant	1,624.0	kg	Scope 1
R290 refrigerant	0.060000	kg	Scope 1

Factors are the total kg CO2e for the seven greenhouse gases, taken from the official DESNZ conversion factor files and published under the Open Government Licence. Scope 1 and 2 figures exclude well-to-tank and grid losses, which each page shows separately. Need a different factor?Carbon Recycling includes every DESNZ factor, not just these.