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Understanding Scope 3 Category 2

Capital goods are physical assets with an extended life that your organization uses to manufacture products, provide services, or sell, store, and deliver merchandise. Unlike Category 1 (purchased goods and services), capital goods are amortized over their useful life rather than consumed immediately. According to the GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard, Category 2 includes emissions from:
  • Buildings and facilities: Offices, warehouses, manufacturing plants, retail stores
  • Machinery and equipment: Production lines, HVAC systems, generators, industrial equipment
  • Vehicles: Company fleet vehicles (if purchased, not leased)
  • IT infrastructure: Servers, data centers, computer equipment, networking hardware
  • Furniture and fixtures: Office furniture, shelving, storage systems
Category 1 vs Category 2: What’s the Difference?

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:
  • Dcycle API credentials (get them here)
  • Capital asset data: fixed asset register, procurement records, or investment records
  • Understanding of your capital asset categories and their acquisition costs or physical specifications
Using the Dcycle App?You can also manage capital goods through our web interface:

Data Map: Capital Goods Requirements Overview

Before diving into the calculations, here’s a complete overview of the data you’ll need:

Calculation Methods

Capital goods use the same calculation methods as purchased goods, with identical emission factor sources:
The spend-based method uses economic input-output (EEIO) emission factors based on the monetary value of capital purchases.
Key characteristics:
  • Uses Exiobase 3.8.2 input-output emission factors
  • Best for buildings, infrastructure, and mixed assets
  • Lower accuracy but easiest to implement
  • Use when you only have financial data
For spend-based calculations, Dcycle uses emission factors from:
  • Exiobase 3.8.2 - Multi-Regional Environmentally Extended Supply-Use Tables
  • Covers construction, manufacturing, and equipment sectors
  • Source: Exiobase
Common capital goods sectors:
  • Construction - Buildings and infrastructure
  • Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. - Industrial equipment
  • Manufacture of motor vehicles - Fleet vehicles
  • Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products - IT equipment
Spend-based emissions are calculated as:CO₂e = Acquisition Cost (€) × Economic Intensity Factor (kg CO₂e/€)Where:
  • Acquisition Cost: Total purchase price including installation/commissioning
  • Economic Intensity Factor: Exiobase emission factor for the asset category
Example (Office Building):
Example (Industrial Machinery):

Amortization Approaches

The GHG Protocol allows two approaches for reporting capital goods emissions:
Report all emissions in the year the asset is acquired.This is the simpler approach and Dcycle’s default behavior.Pros:
  • Simple to implement
  • Matches accounting treatment timing
  • No tracking of asset useful life needed
Cons:
  • Creates emissions “spikes” in years with major investments
  • Year-over-year comparisons more difficult
  • May not reflect when the asset is actually used
Spread emissions over the asset’s useful life, matching financial depreciation.This approach requires manual calculation and multiple annual entries.Pros:
  • Smoother emissions profile
  • Better reflects when asset value is consumed
  • Aligns with financial depreciation schedules
Cons:
  • More complex to implement
  • Requires tracking useful life for each asset
  • Must create entries for multiple years
Contact Dcycle support for guidance on implementing the depreciation approach for your organization.

Data Flow

1

Identify Capital Assets

Review your fixed asset register to identify assets acquired during the reporting period
2

Classify by Asset Type

Categorize assets (buildings, machinery, vehicles, IT, etc.) for appropriate emission factors
3

Choose Calculation Method

Select spend-based, activity-based, or supplier-specific based on available data
4

Create Capital Goods Records

Record assets via API with expense_type: "capex" to classify as Category 2
5

Query and Analyze

View Category 2 emissions separately from Category 1 in reports

Step 4.2.1: Create a Spend-Based Capital Good

Where to get this data:
  • Quantity: From fixed asset register, purchase orders, or invoices
  • Sector/Product: Map from your asset categories (see Exiobase mapping)
  • Country: Country where the asset was manufactured
Record a capital asset using the spend-based method:
Critical: Set expense_type: "capex"The expense_type field determines which Scope 3 category the emissions are assigned to:
  • expense_type: "opex" → Category 1 (Purchased Goods & Services)
  • expense_type: "capex" → Category 2 (Capital Goods)
If you omit this field or set it to “opex”, emissions will be incorrectly classified as Category 1.

Step 4.2.2: Create an Activity-Based Capital Good

Where to get this data:
  • Quantity: From equipment specifications, shipping documents, or technical data sheets
  • Unit: Match the physical characteristic (kg for weight, m² for buildings)
Use activity-based method when you have physical specifications:
When to Use Activity-Based for Capital GoodsActivity-based is particularly useful for:
  • Heavy equipment: Weight-based calculation (kg CO₂e/kg of steel, aluminum, etc.)
  • Buildings: Area-based calculation (kg CO₂e/m² of floor space)
  • Vehicles: Unit-based calculation (kg CO₂e/vehicle by type)
  • Standardized equipment: When physical specs are readily available

Step 4.2.3: Create a Supplier-Specific Capital Good

Where to get this data:
  • Custom Emission Factor: Create from manufacturer’s EPD or Product Carbon Footprint
  • Supplier: Link to the equipment manufacturer
For highest accuracy, use manufacturer-provided emission data:
Finding EPDs for Capital EquipmentEnvironmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are increasingly available for:
  • Construction products: Concrete, steel, insulation, windows
  • HVAC equipment: Heating, cooling, ventilation systems
  • Vehicles: Major manufacturers publish vehicle PCFs
  • IT equipment: Servers, computers (check manufacturer websites)
EPD registries:

Bulk Upload Capital Goods

For large capital investments or fixed asset registers:

CSV Format for Capital Goods

Key points:
  • expense_type must be capex for all capital goods
  • Use appropriate sector/product mapping for each asset type
  • Include supplier_id when available for tracking

Upload Process

Common Capital Goods Sectors

Here are the most common Exiobase sectors for capital goods:
Construction ProjectsFor major construction projects (new buildings, facility expansions), consider:
  1. Spend-based for initial estimates (total project cost × construction EF)
  2. Activity-based for major materials (steel, concrete, glass tonnage)
  3. EPDs for specific materials from suppliers
This hybrid approach improves accuracy while remaining practical.

Query Capital Goods Emissions

Separate Category 1 and Category 2 in Reports

Analyze Capital Goods by Asset Type

Troubleshooting

Issue: Capital Good Showing as Category 1

Issue: What Counts as a Capital Good?

Next Steps

Category 1: Purchased Goods

Track regular purchased goods and services

Custom Emission Factors

Use manufacturer EPDs for equipment

Supply Chain Tutorial

Complete supply chain management

Scope 3 Overview

Back to all Scope 3 categories