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
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:- Spend-Based Method
- Activity-Based Method
- Supplier-Specific Method
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
Emission Factor Sources - Spend-Based
Emission Factor Sources - Spend-Based
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
Construction- Buildings and infrastructureManufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.- Industrial equipmentManufacture of motor vehicles- Fleet vehiclesManufacture of computer, electronic and optical products- IT equipment
Calculation Details - Spend-Based
Calculation Details - Spend-Based
Spend-based emissions are calculated as:CO₂e = Acquisition Cost (€) × Economic Intensity Factor (kg CO₂e/€)Where:Example (Industrial Machinery):
- Acquisition Cost: Total purchase price including installation/commissioning
- Economic Intensity Factor: Exiobase emission factor for the asset category
Amortization Approaches
The GHG Protocol allows two approaches for reporting capital goods emissions:Option 1: Full Accounting in Year of Purchase (Default)
Option 1: Full Accounting in Year of Purchase (Default)
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
- Creates emissions “spikes” in years with major investments
- Year-over-year comparisons more difficult
- May not reflect when the asset is actually used
Option 2: Depreciation/Amortization Over Useful Life
Option 2: Depreciation/Amortization Over Useful Life
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
- 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 25
Query and Analyze
View Category 2 emissions separately from Category 1 in reports
Step 4.2.1: Create a Spend-Based Capital Good
📋 Data Map: Spend-Based Capital Good
📋 Data Map: 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
Step 4.2.2: Create an Activity-Based Capital Good
📋 Data Map: Activity-Based Capital Good
📋 Data Map: 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)
Step 4.2.3: Create a Supplier-Specific Capital Good
📋 Data Map: Supplier-Specific Capital Good
📋 Data Map: 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
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 International - Global
- IBU EPD - Germany
- INIES - France
Bulk Upload Capital Goods
For large capital investments or fixed asset registers:CSV Format for Capital Goods
expense_typemust becapexfor 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: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