---
title: "Creating Custom Emission Factors"
description: "In addition to standard emission factors from our database, you can use custom emission factors to include missing or organization-specific data, ensuring that your results better reflect your organization's activities or specific supplier data."
source_url: https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/esg-reporting/creating-custom-emission-factors
language: en
last_updated: 2026-09-28
---
# Creating Custom Emission Factors

## Overview

In addition to standard [emission factors](https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/glossary.md#emission-factor) from our database, you can use custom emission factors to include missing or organization-specific data, ensuring that your results better reflect your organization's activities or specific supplier data.

Custom emission factors must first be created in the **Custom Emission Factors** workspace by an **ESG Administrator** before they can be used.

## Creating a Custom Emission Factor

To create a custom emission factor:

1. Navigate to the **Custom Emission Factors** workspace and click **Add custom factor**.

2. In the **Create Custom Emission Factor** dialog, enter the required data.

3. Click **Create** to save.

        The new custom emission factor will be displayed in the table as follows, for example:

    !['Custom Emission Factors' workspace](https://support.lucanet.com/assets/docs-images/esg-reporting/creating-custom-emission-factors/_images/en/workspace_custom_emission_factors.png)
    'Custom Emission Factors' workspace

> **Note:** **Decimal Precision of the Emission Factor Value**
>
> You can enter the **Total of kgCO2e** value with up to **6 decimal places** (e.g. `0.123456`), so that you can maintain more precise data. Values with fewer decimals and existing custom emission factors remain valid and are displayed as before — no adjustment is required. The value is displayed with the same precision in the **Custom Emission Factors** overview table.

## Defining the GHG Scope and Category

In the **Create Custom Emission Factor** and **Edit Custom Emission Factor** dialogs, you can use the optional **GHG Scope & Category** field to define where the custom emission factor is available when creating footprints in the Emissions Module.

![The 'Create Custom Emission Factor' dialog showing the optional 'GHG Scope & Category' field with its helper text.](https://support.lucanet.com/assets/docs-images/esg-reporting/creating-custom-emission-factors/_images/en/ghg-scope-category-field.png)
'GHG Scope & Category' field in the 'Create Custom Emission Factor' dialog

The drop-down list offers the following options: 
- **Scope 1**
- **Scope 2**
- **Scope 3 – All categories**
- The individual **Scope 3** categories 1 to 13. 

A custom emission factor can carry several values (e.g. Scope 1 and Scope 3, Category 2). **Scope 3 – All categories** and the individual Scope 3 categories are mutually exclusive.

The field determines where the custom emission factor appears:

- **Left empty**: The custom emission factor is available for **every footprint**, regardless of its scope or category. This is the default and the state of all existing custom emission factors.
- **Containing a value**: The custom emission factor is available **only** for footprints whose scope — and, for Scope 3, category — matches one of the selected values.

> **Note:** **Notes**:
>
> - The **GHG Scope & Category** field is **optional** and never blocks creating or saving a custom emission factor.
> - You can configure the field when creating the custom emission factor and change it later — but only while the custom emission factor is **Not used** (see [Status of Custom Emission Factors](https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/esg-reporting/creating-custom-emission-factors/.md#status-of-custom-emission-factors)).
> - Existing custom emission factors are not changed. They remain available for every footprint until you edit them and define a scope and category.

## Status of Custom Emission Factors

Custom emission factors can have two statuses: **In use** (actively used in the calculation of a footprint) and **Not used** (not currently referenced). The status is displayed in the custom emission factors overview as follows, for example:

![Shows the overview of the custom emission factors. The statuses ‘In use’ and ‘Not used’ are outlined in red, as well as the context menu options accessed via the three-dot icon.](https://support.lucanet.com/assets/docs-images/esg-reporting/creating-custom-emission-factors/_images/en/custom-factors-status.png)
Status of custom emission factors

Custom emission factors with the status **Not used** can be edited or deleted as needed. If you leave the **Edit Custom Emission Factor** dialog with unsaved entries, the **Unsaved Changes** dialog is displayed.

## Exporting Custom Emission Factors

There are two options for exporting custom emission factors, including all their attributes, to a CSV file:

- Use the context menu opened by the three-dot icon next to each factor to download a single emission factor.
- Click **Export all** above the overview table to download all custom emission factors at once.