Getting Started
Welcome to the Carbon Calculator! This tool helps you measure and track your organisation's carbon footprint by collecting data about your activities and calculating the associated greenhouse gas emissions.
How It Works
- Navigate through steps – The calculator is organised into multiple steps, each focusing on different emission sources
- Select emission items – Choose the relevant activities for your organisation
- Enter your data – Input quantities, distances, or other measurements
- Review totals – See your carbon footprint calculated in real-time
- Submit results – Save your calculation for reporting and tracking
Key Features
- Real-time Calculations
- As you enter data, your carbon footprint is calculated instantly using certified emission factors.
- Progress Tracking
- The progress bar shows how far through the calculator you are, and you can navigate freely between steps.
- Save & Continue
- Your progress is preserved, so you can return and complete the calculator later.
- Breakdown View
- The sidebar shows a detailed breakdown of your emissions by category and step.
Need More Help?
Use the help button on each step for specific guidance about that section. If you have questions about your organisation's data or how to interpret results, contact your sustainability team.
Navigating the Calculator
The calculator is divided into multiple steps to make data entry manageable. Each step focuses on a specific category of emissions.
Step Navigation
- Progress Bar
- The progress indicator at the top shows which step you're on and how many steps remain. Click on completed steps to review or edit your entries.
- Previous/Next Buttons
- Use the navigation buttons to move between steps. The Previous button appears after the first step, and Next advances you when you're ready.
- Direct Navigation
- You can jump directly to any previously completed step by clicking on it in the progress bar.
Step Types
You may encounter different types of steps:
- Carbon Steps – Collect data for emission calculations (measured in kg CO₂e)
- ESG Steps – Collect environmental, social, and governance data (measured in points)
Saving Progress
Your data is saved automatically as you navigate between steps. You can safely close the browser and return later – your progress will be restored.
Edit Mode
If you're editing a previously submitted calculation, you'll see a Back to View button that returns you to the submission summary without saving changes.
Tips
- Complete steps in order for the best experience
- Review the sidebar totals as you go to understand your footprint
- Use the breakdown accordion to see contributions from each section
Understanding Emission Items
Emission items are the building blocks of your carbon calculation. Each item represents a specific activity or source that produces greenhouse gas emissions.
What Are Emission Items?
An emission item connects your activity data (like "litres of petrol used" or "kilometres travelled") to an emission factor that converts it into carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).
Examples:
- Natural Gas – Burns gas for heating, measured in kWh or cubic metres
- Petrol (Company Cars) – Fuel consumption, measured in litres
- Electricity (UK Grid) – Grid electricity usage, measured in kWh
- Business Travel (Flight) – Air travel, measured in kilometres or miles
Selecting Items
Depending on the calculator configuration, you may:
- Choose from a dropdown
- Select the most relevant item from a list. The list may be filtered by category.
- Select multiple items
- Some sections allow you to add multiple emission sources. Click "Add another" to include more items.
- Use pre-selected items
- Some calculators have items pre-configured – you just need to enter the quantities.
Entering Data
After selecting an item, enter the relevant quantity in the unit shown (e.g., litres, kWh, km). The calculator will multiply your quantity by the emission factor to calculate your footprint.
Understanding Units
Pay attention to the unit of measurement for each item:
- kWh – Kilowatt-hours (energy)
- litres – Volume of fuel
- km / miles – Distance travelled
- kg / tonnes – Weight of materials
Data Quality Tips
- Use actual measured data where possible (bills, meter readings, mileage logs)
- If estimating, use conservative (higher) estimates
- Make sure units match what you're entering
- Include all relevant activities, even if they seem minor
How Calculations Work
The calculator uses standardised emission factors to convert your activity data into carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) – a universal measure of greenhouse gas impact.
The Basic Formula
For each emission item:
Carbon Footprint = Quantity × Emission Factor
For example:
- You used 1,000 litres of petrol
- The emission factor is 2.31 kg CO₂e per litre
- Your footprint: 1,000 × 2.31 = 2,310 kg CO₂e
What Is CO₂e?
Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) is a standardised unit that expresses the global warming potential of different greenhouse gases as if they were CO₂. This allows us to add up emissions from different sources.
Emission Factors
Emission factors are researched conversion rates that represent the typical emissions from an activity. They're sourced from:
- Government databases (DEFRA, EPA)
- International standards (GHG Protocol)
- Industry-specific studies
Factors are updated annually to reflect changes in energy grids, fuel compositions, and measurement methods.
Real-Time Totals
As you enter data, the calculator updates totals automatically:
- Step Total
- The combined emissions for the current step (shown in the sidebar)
- Fieldset/Section Breakdown
- Emissions grouped by category within each step
- Overall Total
- Your complete carbon footprint across all steps (shown after submission)
Understanding the Numbers
Results are typically shown in:
- kg CO₂e – Kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (for smaller amounts)
- tonnes CO₂e – Metric tonnes (for larger totals; 1 tonne = 1,000 kg)
Accuracy Notes
- Calculations are based on typical emission factors – actual emissions may vary
- Some items use location-specific factors (e.g., UK electricity grid)
- Results are suitable for reporting and benchmarking, not precise scientific measurement
Submitting Your Results
Once you've completed all steps, you can submit your calculation to save the results and generate reports.
Before You Submit
Review your entries:
- Check step totals – Do the numbers look reasonable for your organisation?
- Review the breakdown – Expand each section in the sidebar to verify details
- Navigate back – Use the progress bar to revisit any step if needed
The Submit Button
On the final step, you'll see a Calculate Results button. Clicking this will:
- Validate all your entries
- Calculate final totals
- Save the submission to your account
- Display your results summary
Capture Forms
Some calculators include a capture form before or after submission to collect additional information:
- Reporting period – The time frame your data covers
- Notes – Any context about data sources or methodology
- Contact details – For follow-up questions
- Intensity ratio units – For intensity-enabled number fields, choose the denominator unit (configured one per line in builder)
When an intensity ratio field includes configured units, the capture form shows a unit dropdown beside the numeric input. The selected unit is used in results summary cards and PDF intensity ratio labels (for example, kgCO₂e per FTE).
After Submission
Once submitted, you can:
- View Results
- See a detailed breakdown of your carbon footprint with charts and comparisons
- Download Reports
- Export your results as PDF or CSV for external reporting
- Edit Submission
- Return to modify entries if you discover errors or have updated data
- Compare Over Time
- Track changes in your footprint across multiple reporting periods
Submission Status
Your submission may go through review stages:
- Draft – Saved but not finalised
- Submitted – Sent for review (if applicable)
- Approved – Verified and accepted
Tips
- Complete all steps before submitting for the most accurate results
- Save your data sources in case you need to verify entries later
- Submit promptly after gathering data to ensure accuracy
- Use consistent reporting periods across submissions for meaningful comparisons
