ecoinvent

The ecoinvent database provides a rich pool of secondary data for scope 3 GHG reporting and can help reporters fill data gaps by providing regional or global average GHG emission factors, average transport distances and modes, and regional product and technology mixes. In addition, separated scope 2 and 3 emission factors for electricity are also available.

See GHG Protocol Disclaimer at the bottom of the listing for terms and limitations.

Summary
Name of source	ecoinvent Database
Provider	ecoinvent
Summary text	ecoinvent is an internationally active, mission-driven organization devoted to supporting high-quality, science-based environmental assessments. Its activities include publishing and maintaining the ecoinvent database, a comprehensive life cycle inventory database that provides reliable and transparent information on the environmental impacts of various products and services. It is used by companies, researchers, and policymakers to analyze the environmental impact of their operations, make informed decisions, and develop sustainable practices. The ecoinvent database provides a rich pool of secondary data for scope 3 GHG reporting and can help reporters to fill data gaps by providing regional or global average GHG emission factors, average transport distances and modes, and regional product and technology mixes. In addition, separated scope 2 and 3 emission factors for electricity are also available.
Contact	https://ecoinvent.org/contact-us/
Licensing	By arrangement, contact ecoinvent for details.
Language(s)	English
Website	https://ecoinvent.org/

Access – data formats and accessibility
File type	HTML (web) access to data on-line and to excel files
Software needs	Microsoft office

Contents – breadth and depth of datasets
Age	1990-present
Geography	More than 500 geographies including individual countries and specific regions
Original Data Source(s)	Academic research, Industry statistics, Government publications, Other LCA databases
Other Databases Included	Various
Life cycle stages	Cradle-to-Grave
Modeling approach	Process
Emissions results	Total CO2e, separate GHGs
Number of datasets	More than 26,000
Main topics	Accommodation services, Agriculture & Animal Husbandry, Batteries & Electronics, Building & Construction, Chemicals, Plastics, Energy including electricity and heat, Forestry & Wood, Fuels, Infrastructure, Metals, Pulp & Paper, Transport, Textiles, Waste management & Recycling, Water supply.
Other topics	Environmental Product Declaration (EPDs), GHG reporting, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Corporate Sustainability reporting

Data transparency – what metadata is provided for each dataset?
System boundaries	Yes
Data Types	Unit process
Allocation Methods	Yes
Technology	Yes
Data year	Yes
Original source	Yes
Uncertainty	Yes

Quality – is information provided on data quality?
Data quality score	Yes
Quality assurance	Yes
Standards represented	ISO 14040; ISO 14044; ISO/TS 14048; ISO 14025; ISO 21930; EN15804&A2:2019; GHG protocol – Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard

GHG Protocol Disclaimer

This database is listed as an informational resource to assist users in collecting data for product life cycle and corporate value chain (Scope 3) GHG inventories.

Inclusion in this catalogue does not constitute an endorsement, quality assessment, or recommendation by the GHG Protocol. The catalogue is not exhaustive.

Some of the data in these sources may not be consistent with certain GHG Protocol standards. Before using a database, the user should review its documentation for transparency, completeness, and applicability to the GHG inventory for which the data is being collected. For example, a database may contain combustion-only emission factors that are not applicable to product life cycle GHG inventories. Data should also be evaluated using the data quality indicators described in the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard (chapter 7) and the Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard (chapter 8). Users should select the highest-quality data available in the context of business objectives and the principles of relevance, completeness, consistency, transparency, and accuracy. 

The databases included meet the following criteria: 

1. It can be used directly by inventory developers. Databases that require purchasing consulting services or proprietary software solely to access the data are not listed.
2. It has a corresponding website on which users can review source documentation and additional information.
3. It is currently maintained or, if not actively updated, remains accessible and documented at a stable URL.
4. It is offered on terms that allow inventory developers to use the data for product life cycle or Scope 3 inventory purposes (free, paid license, or open are all acceptable; absence of any usable access is not). 
5. Where a database is accessible only on a paid or licensed basis, sufficient public documentation must be available for users to assess applicability before purchasing. At minimum, this requires a publicly accessible methodology description, geographic and sector coverage summary, and pricing or access information (including how to request access). Databases for which this information is not publicly available are not listed.