Overview
Advanced modules are processed manually by Climate Strategy Experts (CSE), analysts or partners. Data is imported into the module through an Excel template. This article explains the three types of modules, which tab of the template to use, what each column means, and which values are accepted.
Key benefits / use cases
Choose the right module type (End-to-end, Lightweight or Advanced) for a given study.
Know which tab to use: Greenly EFs (emission factor ID available) or Custom EFs (you create the emission factor).
Fill in every column correctly so that the import succeeds and the resulting emission factors stay auditable.
Change an emission factor or a purchase category after the data has been uploaded.
The three types of modules
On the platform, activity studies can be processed in three ways.
Lightweight module
100% autonomous module with simple data.
The client updates the data on their own and gets automatic calculations.
It has a specific structure with a predefined list of emission factors: the client only has to upload quantities for a given product, activity or material.
It is the initial stage of a module that clients can use autonomously, with basic functionality and categorisation, but it can be limited in terms of emission factor granularity.
Advanced module
The client has no autonomy: Climate Strategy Experts (CSE) or partners do the analysis and provide it to the client.
Clients provide their raw data by following the structure of a data collection template.
It is an intermediate stage with exhaustive data to collect, but the data still needs to be processed manually by analysts or partners.
Because advanced modules require manual processing, use this option as a fallback when lightweight and end-to-end modules are not suited.
End-to-end module
100% autonomous module with granular data and a lot of guidance.
More complex than lightweight modules, which allows more granularity.
Clients can enter data one by one with the single form directly in the module or import in bulk with a data collection file.
It has a specific structure with a predefined list of emission factors (larger than the Lightweight version): the client uploads quantities for a given product, activity or material, plus a specific set of additional details to increase granularity.
Favour this option as much as possible: the client is fully autonomous from data collection to data processing on the platform.
Key takeaways
Order of preference when choosing a module type: End-to-end > Lightweight > Advanced.
End-to-end and lightweight ensure data is uploaded in a defined format.
With the advanced format, any type of data can be uploaded, which can make the analysis harder and more time-consuming.
Which tab should I use: Greenly EFs or Custom EFs?
The upload template contains two import tabs. Only fill in and upload the tab(s) that apply:
Greenly EFs: use it if your study is based on emission factors (EF) from the Greenly database and you have the EF IDs.
Custom EFs: use it if you are using custom EFs created for this client.
If you have both Greenly database EFs and custom EFs, separate your data and do two imports on the same module.
We try to avoid the Custom EFs tab as much as possible and prefer lightweight modules or advanced modules with Greenly EFs (using an emission factor ID). Emission factors in the Greenly database are created in an auditable and consistent way and are managed and updated by the Research & Methodology (R& M) team.
The recurring use cases where the Custom EFs tab is still used are past GHG integration, some advanced modules in the catalogue (investments, insurance), Greenly Pro licences, and some custom studies.
General rules for the template
You can add as many extra columns as you want as axes of analysis. They have to be added during the OneSchema import.
To reduce loading time and improve OneSchema performance, import a file that only contains the import tab (instead of the whole file with computations and raw data).
Do not include thousands separators in numbers; it breaks the import.
For questions and feedback, contact [email protected].
Two example tabs ([Example] Greenly EFs and [Example] Custom EFs) show how to fill in the columns.
Colour code of the column headers
A dark blue header and red text are used to create the activity. Mandatory.
A light blue header and black text are used to create the activity. Optional.
A dark green header and red text are used to create the emission factor. Mandatory.
A light green header and black text are used to create the emission factor. Recommended.
A yellow header and red text are used to create both the activity and the emission factor. Mandatory.
A pink header contains a formula. Do not modify it: it stays visible so you can spot missing formulas.
Greenly EFs tab
Use this tab when you already have the emission factor ID. All columns create the activity.
Name (mandatory, text): name of the activity.
Quantity (mandatory, number): amount consumed in the unit. Defaults to 0.
Unit (mandatory, picklist): unit of the quantity. It must match the unit of the emission factor.
Section (optional, text): free grouping used to organise activities.
Emission factor id (mandatory, UUID): ID of the emission factor.
Business unit (optional, text): the client's internal business unit the activity belongs to.
Entity (optional, text): legal entity or subsidiary.
Entity country (optional, text): country of the entity.
is cross-entity (optional, boolean): TRUE if this is a cross-entity transaction. Defaults to FALSE.
Market-based (optional, boolean): TRUE for a market-based electricity or heat activity, FALSE for location-based. Relevant for Scope 2 activities only.
Building id (optional, UUID): identifier of the building to link the activity to a site.
Temporal scope start (YYYY-MM-DD) (optional, date): start of the period the activity covers.
Temporal scope end (YYYY-MM-DD) (optional, date): end of the period the activity covers.
Supplier label (optional, text): name of the supplier, for supplier-level analysis.
Purchase category override (optional, picklist): name of a purchase category. It overrides the regulatory entry and the visualisation category of the emission factor.
Purchase category id override(automatic, formula): ID of the purchase category chosen above. Filled by a formula: do not modify it.Important: the unit and the emission factor must match.
Custom EFs tab
Use this tab when you create the emission factor yourself. It contains all the activity columns of the Greenly EFs tab (Name, Quantity, Unit, Section, Business unit, Entity, Entity country, is cross entity, Market-based, Building id, Temporal scope start and end, Supplier label, with the same meaning), plus the columns below, which are used to create the emission factor. All the other columns create the activity, not the emission factor.
Fill in the optional columns too. This is the closest you can get to creating an emission factor in an auditable way. We want to avoid connecting to a client account and being unable to justify the value or the source of a custom EF.
Mandatory emission factor columns
Emission factor name: a readable name that gives the emission factor's attributes from least to most specific, separated by "|". The same name is used for the English and French translations. Examples: Diesel-powered car | Short-distance; Electricity | Average mix | France | 2023.
Emission factor ratio (kgCO2e/unit): the value of the ratio in kgCO2e per unit. Biogenic CO2 must not be included.
Unit: the unit of the emissions, picked from the predefined list (see below). It is used both for the activity quantity and for the emission factor ratio.
Purchase category: the best-fit node of the Emissions Category Tree. You can only pick purchase categories from the predefined list. The Purchase category id column is filled automatically by a formula.
Regulatory category: 100% of the emissions end up in the selected category. It is not possible to split emissions between several categories. The category must be one of the list below.
Optional (recommended) emission factor columns
Methodology: the description displayed to clients and auditors. Write one or two sentences that help the reader understand where the emission factor comes from. Do not include links or internal documents. The same methodology is used for the English and French translations. If empty, it stays blank.
Methodology note: an internal note with a link to a document in a shared drive or elsewhere, where the source document and the detailed calculation steps can be found. It should be enough for someone else to find the source and reproduce the exact value. If empty, it stays blank.
Referential type: the source of the emission factor, picked from the dropdown. Defaults to OTHER.
Referential type version: the version of the source. Leave empty if the referential has no version.
Confidence score: a number between 0 and 1, 1 being the most reliable. Defaults to 0.
Uncertainty: a number between 0 and 1, 0 being the least uncertain. Defaults to 0.8.
Carbon biogenic emissions (kgCO2e/unit): biogenic CO2 per unit, reported separately. Blank if not provided.
Country(and Country id): the country the emission factor applies to. Leave empty if it is not country-specific. The Country id is filled automatically by a formula.
UN region: the region the emission factor applies to. Defaults to Global. If a country is given, the region is filled automatically once imported.
Year: the year the emission factor is valid for. Leave empty if it is not year-specific.
This emission factor is only created for a given company id, the one of the profile you are importing for.
Confidence score and uncertainty: how to choose
No source, or not traceable (impossible to find the source value in a document): confidence score 0, uncertainty 0.8.
Isolated EF published in a research paper, report or article: confidence score 0.5, uncertainty 0.5.
Properly sourced and traceable EF or LCA provided by a company (external) or computed internally by an expert, with a basic methodology: confidence score 0.7, uncertainty 0.3.
Same, with a thorough and detailed methodology report: confidence score 0.85, uncertainty 0.15.
EF provided by a reliable, renowned and trustworthy database: confidence score 1, uncertainty 0.05.
Methodology examples
Template: Emission factor provided by [publisher] for the category: [path] > [source label] ([record id], poste:...). Source: [database] v[version].
Example: Emission factor provided by the French Environment Agency (ADEME) for the category: Achats de biens > Ratios monétaires > Autres matériels de transport - 2019 (element 43296). Source: Base Empreinte, Base Carbone v23.11.
Accepted values
Units
The unit must be in the predefined list (the Unit column is a dropdown).
Energy (anchor unit: kWh): Wh, kWh, MWh, GWh, TWh, J, kJ, MJ, GJ, cal, kcal, thm, toe, MMBtu, Btu.
Volume (anchor unit: m3): ml, cl, l, kl, m3, km3, tsp, Tbs, fl_oz, pnt, qt, gal, ft3, yd3, ccf.
Area (anchor unit: m2): mm2, cm2, m2, ha, km2, in2, yd2, ft2, ac, mi2.
Distance (anchor unit: km): mm, cm, m, km, in, yd, ft, mi, nMi, VEHICLE_KM, VEHICLE_MILE.
Mass (anchor unit: kg): mg, g, kg, metric_t, t, oz, lb, st, short_t, long_t, ct.
Power (anchor unit: kW): W, kW, MW, GW, PS, hp, Btu_per_s.
Time (anchor unit: h): s, min, h, d, week, month, year.
Digital (anchor unit: bit): bit, Kbit, Mbit, Gbit, Tbit, B, KB, MB, GB, TB.
People (anchor unit: person): FTE, person, passenger, EMPLOYEE.
Unit (anchor unit: UNIT): UNIT, IMPRESSION, THOUSAND_IMPRESSIONS.
Other (anchor unit: ROOM_NIGHT_STAY): ROOM_NIGHT_STAY.
Currency (anchor unit: EUR): ISO 4217 currency codes (EUR, USD, GBP...).
Combined units exist for these pairs of measures: Mass·Distance, Mass·Time, Volume·Distance, Volume·Time, Distance·Time, Area·Time, People·Distance, People·Time and Digital·Time. The ID is written unit1_unit2 (for example kg_km, metric_t_mi, person_h, m3_h, Gbit_s) and every unit of the first measure can be combined with every unit of the second one. A combined unit is deprecated if one of its parts is deprecated.
Regulatory categories
Stationary combustion (GHG P 1.1, Beges-r 1.1)
Mobile combustion (GHG P 1.2, Beges-r 1.2)
Process emissions (GHG P 1.3, Beges-r 1.3)
Fugitive emissions (GHG P 1.4, Beges-r 1.4)
Emissions from biomass (soil and forests) (GHG P 4.1, Beges-r 1.5)
Purchased electricity (GHG P 2.1, Beges-r 2.1)
Purchased heat, steam, and cooling (GHG P 2.2, Beges-r 2.2)
Fuel and energy related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 (GHG P 3.3, Beges-r 4.1)
Purchased goods (GHG P 3.1, Beges-r 4.1)
Purchased services (GHG P 3.1, Beges-r 4.5)
Capital goods (GHG P 3.2, Beges-r 4.2)
Waste generated in operations (GHG P 3.5, Beges-r 4.3)
Upstream transportation and distribution (GHG P 3.4, Beges-r 3.1)
Business travel (GHG P 3.6, Beges-r 3.5)
Upstream leased assets (GHG P 3.8, Beges-r 4.4)
Investments (GHG P 3.15, Beges-r 5.4)
Visitor and customer transport (GHG P 4.2, Beges-r 3.4)
Downstream transportation and distribution (GHG P 3.9, Beges-r 3.2)
Processing of sold products (GHG P 3.10, Beges-r 5.1)
Use of sold products (GHG P 3.11, Beges-r 5.1)
End-of-life treatment of sold products (GHG P 3.12, Beges-r 5.3)
Franchises (GHG P 3.14, Beges-r 6.1)
Downstream leased assets (GHG P 3.13, Beges-r 5.2)
Employee commuting (GHG P 3.7, Beges-r 3.3)
Other indirect emissions (GHG P 4.3, Beges-r 6.1)
Countries
The Country column is a dropdown of countries (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes such as FR, GB, US, DE). The matching Country id is filled automatically. Leave it empty if the emission factor is not country-specific.
UN regions
Global
Continents: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania
Sub-regions: AustraliaAndNewZealand, Caribbean, CentralAmerica, CentralAsia, EasternAfrica, EasternAsia, EasternEurope, LatinAmericaAndTheCaribbean, Melanesia, Micronesia, MiddleAfrica, MiddleEast, NorthernAfrica, NorthernAmerica, NorthernEurope, Polynesia, SouthAmerica, South-EasternAsia, SouthernAfrica, SouthernAsia, SouthernEurope, SubSaharanAfrica, WesternAfrica, WesternAsia, WesternEurope
Changing an emission factor or purchase category after the upload
The emission factor (EF) or the purchase category (PC) decides which regulatory entry the emissions go to. The EF is used by default. If you override the PC of an activity, the PC is used instead of the EF.
You can still change an EF or a PC once data has been uploaded in a module:
In Admeenly > Activity data, select the module you are working on and edit it.
Select all the rows you want to update, then click "Edit EFs" or "Edit PCs".
Search for the EF or PC you want (you can search by ID if you already have it), then click the arrow at the far right of the line.
Click "Save and close" at the bottom of the page.
Go back to your module and check that the EF or PC has been updated.
FAQs
Should I use the Greenly EFs or the Custom EFs tab?
Use Greenly EFs whenever you have an emission factor ID: those factors are auditable, consistent and maintained by R& M. Use Custom EFs only when no suitable factor exists (past GHG integration, some catalogue advanced modules such as investments and insurance, external operations / Greenly Pro licences, custom studies). If you need both, do two separate imports on the same module.
Can I split the emissions of one custom EF between several regulatory categories?
No. 100% of the emissions go to the single regulatory category you select.
What happens if I leave optional emission factor columns empty?
Defaults apply: referential type OTHER, confidence score 0, uncertainty 0.8, region Global. Methodology, methodology note, biogenic emissions, country and year stay blank. Leaving them empty makes the factor hard to justify to clients and auditors, so fill them in whenever you can.
Why does my import fail?
Check that numbers have no thousands separators, that the unit is in the dropdown and matches the emission factor, that dates use the YYYY-MM-DD format, and that the formula columns (in pink) have not been modified or deleted.