> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.dcycle.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Category 4: Products Used Emissions > Overview of indirect GHG emissions from products and services purchased or acquired by your organization under ISO 14064-1 ## Understanding Products Used Emissions **Category 4** under ISO 14064-1 covers indirect GHG emissions from products and services purchased or acquired by your organization. This includes the cradle-to-gate emissions embedded in everything your organization buys, the disposal of waste generated, and long-lived capital assets. ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CATEGORY 4: INDIRECT GHG EMISSIONS FROM PRODUCTS USED │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ ┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ 4.1 CAPITAL GOODS │ │ 4.2 WASTE DISPOSAL │ │ 4.3 PURCHASED GOODS │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ & SERVICES │ │ │ ├─────────────────────┤ ├─────────────────────┤ ├─────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ • Buildings │ │ • Landfill │ │ • Raw materials │ │ │ │ • Machinery │ │ • Incineration │ │ • Components │ │ │ │ • Equipment │ │ • Recycling │ │ • Office supplies │ │ │ │ • Vehicles │ │ • Composting │ │ • Professional │ │ │ │ • IT infrastructure │ │ • Transport │ │ services │ │ │ └─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────┘ │ │ │ │ Cradle-to-gate emissions of all products used by your organization │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` ## Category 4 Subcategories ISO 14064-1 Category 4 is divided into three subcategories: Emissions from purchased capital assets with extended useful life: buildings, machinery, vehicles, IT infrastructure. Emissions from disposal and treatment of solid and liquid waste generated at your facilities. Emissions from purchased goods and services consumed within the reporting year. ## Key Differences Between Subcategories | Aspect | 4.1 Capital Goods | 4.2 Waste Disposal | 4.3 Purchased Goods | | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | | **Type** | Capital expenditure (CAPEX) | Waste treatment | Operational expenditure (OPEX) | | **Timeframe** | Multi-year useful life | Generated during operations | Consumed within year | | **Examples** | Buildings, machinery, fleet vehicles | Landfill, recycling, composting | Raw materials, services, supplies | | **Dcycle API** | `/purchases` with `expense_type: "capex"` | `/facilities/{id}/wastes` | `/purchases` with `expense_type: "opex"` | | **Amortization** | Can be spread over useful life | No amortization | Full in year of purchase | **Why Category 4 Matters** Category 4 typically represents **40-80% of an organization's total GHG emissions**. For manufacturing companies, purchased goods and capital assets often dominate the carbon footprint. Accurate accounting of Category 4 is essential for: * Understanding your true environmental impact * Identifying emission reduction opportunities * Engaging suppliers on decarbonization * Meeting disclosure requirements (CDP, CSRD, etc.) ## Quick Start by Subcategory ### Category 4.1: Capital Goods Track emissions from long-lived assets purchased by your organization: ```python theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}} # Record a capital good (machinery) capital_good_data = { "description": "CNC Machining Center - Model X500", "sector": "Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.", "product_name": "Machinery and equipment n.e.c.", "quantity": 500000, # €500,000 acquisition cost "unit_id": eur_unit['id'], "country": "DE", "purchase_date": "2024-03-15", "expense_type": "capex", # ⚠️ This makes it Category 4.1 "purchase_type": "spend_based", } response = requests.post( "https://api.dcycle.io/v1/purchases", headers=headers, json=capital_good_data, ) ``` [→ Full Capital Goods Guide](/guides/emissions/iso-14064-category-4-1-capital-goods) ### Category 4.2: Waste Disposal Track emissions from waste generated at your facilities: ```python theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}} # Record waste disposal waste_data = { "facility_id": facility_id, "ler_code": "150101", # Paper and cardboard packaging "rd_code": "R03", # Recycling "quantity": 500, # 500 kg "start_date": "2024-01-01", "end_date": "2024-03-31", "description": "Office paper and cardboard waste - Q1 2024", "total_km_to_waste_center": 25, } response = requests.post( f"https://api.dcycle.io/v1/facilities/{facility_id}/wastes", headers=headers, json=waste_data ) ``` [→ Full Waste Disposal Guide](/guides/emissions/iso-14064-category-4-2-waste) ### Category 4.3: Purchased Goods and Services Track emissions from goods and services consumed within the year: ```python theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}} # Record a purchase (spend-based) purchase_data = { "description": "IT consulting services Q1 2024", "sector": "Computer programming, consultancy and related activities", "product_name": "Computer programming, consultancy and related services", "quantity": 15000, # €15,000 spent "unit_id": eur_unit['id'], "country": "ES", "purchase_date": "2024-03-15", "expense_type": "opex", # ⚠️ This makes it Category 4.3 (default) "purchase_type": "spend_based", } response = requests.post( "https://api.dcycle.io/v1/purchases", headers=headers, json=purchase_data, ) ``` [→ Full Purchased Goods Guide](/guides/emissions/iso-14064-category-4-3-purchased-goods) ## Calculation Methods Overview All Category 4 subcategories support multiple calculation methods: ``` ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ DATA QUALITY HIERARCHY │ ├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ Level 1: Supplier-Specific Data ─────────────────────────────────── HIGHEST ACCURACY │ │ ├─ EPDs, Product Carbon Footprints, Supplier PCFs │ │ ├─ Accuracy: ±5-15% │ │ └─ Use: custom_emission_factor_id │ │ │ │ Level 2: Activity-Based Data ─────────────────────────────────────── MEDIUM ACCURACY │ │ ├─ Product category + physical quantity (kg, m³, units) │ │ ├─ Accuracy: ±20-40% │ │ └─ Use: quantity + unit_id + sector/product_name │ │ │ │ Level 3: Spend-Based Data ─────────────────────────────────────────── LOWER ACCURACY │ │ ├─ Only monetary value + category │ │ ├─ Accuracy: ±50-100% │ │ └─ Use: quantity (€) + unit_id (€) + sector/product_name │ │ │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` ## Emission Factor Sources | Subcategory | Primary Source | Secondary Sources | | ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | | **4.1 Capital Goods** | Exiobase 3.8.2 (spend-based), Ecoinvent (activity-based) | Manufacturer EPDs | | **4.2 Waste Disposal** | IPCC Guidelines for National GHG Inventories | National waste databases | | **4.3 Purchased Goods** | Exiobase 3.8.2 (spend-based), Ecoinvent (activity-based) | Supplier EPDs/PCFs | ## Query Category 4 Emissions Get a complete picture of your Category 4 emissions: ```python theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}} import requests import os headers = { "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.getenv('DCYCLE_API_KEY')}", "Content-Type": "application/json", "x-organization-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_ORG_ID"), "x-user-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_USER_ID"), } # Query Category 4.1 (Capital Goods) capital_goods = requests.get( "https://api.dcycle.io/v1/purchases", headers=headers, params={ "expense_type": "capex", "start_date": "2024-01-01", "end_date": "2024-12-31", }, ).json() # Query Category 4.2 (Waste) wastes = requests.get( f"https://api.dcycle.io/v1/facilities/{facility_id}/wastes", headers=headers, params={ "start_date": "2024-01-01", "end_date": "2024-12-31", }, ).json() # Query Category 4.3 (Purchased Goods) purchased_goods = requests.get( "https://api.dcycle.io/v1/purchases", headers=headers, params={ "expense_type": "opex", "start_date": "2024-01-01", "end_date": "2024-12-31", }, ).json() # Calculate totals cat41_total = sum(p['co2e'] for p in capital_goods.get('items', [])) cat42_total = sum(w.get('co2e', 0) for w in wastes.get('items', [])) cat43_total = sum(p['co2e'] for p in purchased_goods.get('items', [])) cat4_total = cat41_total + cat42_total + cat43_total print(f"📊 ISO 14064-1 Category 4: Products Used (2024)") print(f"") print(f" 4.1 Capital Goods: {cat41_total:>12,.0f} kg CO₂e ({cat41_total/cat4_total*100:.1f}%)") print(f" 4.2 Waste Disposal: {cat42_total:>12,.0f} kg CO₂e ({cat42_total/cat4_total*100:.1f}%)") print(f" 4.3 Purchased Goods: {cat43_total:>12,.0f} kg CO₂e ({cat43_total/cat4_total*100:.1f}%)") print(f" ─────────────────────────────────────────") print(f" TOTAL CATEGORY 4: {cat4_total:>12,.0f} kg CO₂e") ``` ## Best Practices **ISO 14064-1 Category 4 Best Practices** 1. **Start with spend-based**: Get comprehensive coverage quickly, then improve accuracy 2. **Identify hotspots**: Focus on top 10-20 emission sources for data improvement 3. **Engage suppliers**: Request EPDs/PCFs from key suppliers (top 20% by emissions) 4. **Track waste streams**: Ensure all waste types are captured with treatment methods 5. **Use activity data**: Provide physical quantities when available for better accuracy 6. **Review annually**: Update emission factors and methodologies yearly ## Comparison with GHG Protocol ISO 14064-1 Category 4 maps to several GHG Protocol Scope 3 categories: | ISO 14064-1 | GHG Protocol Scope 3 | | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ | | Category 4.1 (Capital Goods) | Category 2 (Capital Goods) | | Category 4.2 (Waste Disposal) | Category 5 (Waste Generated in Operations) | | Category 4.3 (Purchased Goods) | Category 1 (Purchased Goods and Services) | ## Next Steps Account for emissions from product use by customers Track transportation and business travel emissions Return to the main ISO 14064 tutorial Create and manage supplier EPDs/PCFs