carbontiers

Platform Guide · v2026

The complete guide to CarbonTiers

Five IPCC sector calculators, a corporate carbon-footprint engine, scenario modelling with 81 mitigation options, GWP AR4 / AR5 / AR6, CBAM and audit-ready export — everything the platform does, in one document.

Built around the IPCC 2006 Guidelines, the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and ISO 14064-1:2018. Every line of every calculation is traceable from activity data to tCO\u2082e — including the emission factor, IPCC reference, tier and GWP version.

IPCC sectors

sub-modules

mitigation options

Scope 3 categories

Contents

→ 01 · The five IPCC sector tools
→ 02 · Corporate Carbon Footprint
→ 03 · Cross-cutting capabilities
→ 04 · Methodological foundation
→ 05 · Quick-start workflow
→ 06 · Frequently asked questions

Section 01

The five IPCC sector tools

Each tool implements one IPCC 2006 volume end-to-end. Free tier 1 entry points are available across every sector — Pro unlocks the full module set, GWP toggle, scenario modelling and Excel / PNG / SVG / JSON export.

01 · IPCC 2006 Vol. 2Free tier available

Energy

Stationary combustion, mobile combustion, fugitive emissions, the reference-approach cross-check and CCS corrections — every IPCC Energy-sector source on a single screen.

CO₂CH₄N₂OSF₆HFC / PFC

73%

of global GHG emissions

modules

mitigation options

Modules

Module	Scope
Stationary Combustion	Coal, natural gas, fuel oil, LPG, biomass and 40+ fuels burned in boilers, furnaces, turbines and generators — broken down by IPCC sub-sector
Mobile Combustion	Road, rail, maritime, aviation and off-road — detailed by vehicle category and fuel
Fugitive Emissions	Natural-gas transmission/distribution, coal mining (underground / surface / abandoned), oil & gas operations, plus refrigerant and SF₆ leaks
Reference Approach	Top-down energy-balance cross-check: production + imports − exports − bunkers ± stock change
CCS	Carbon capture, transport and geological storage corrections — captured CO₂ properly deducted from totals

Free

Stationary Combustion — Tier 1 · GWP AR5 · JSON export · 40+ fuel registry

Pro

All five modules unlocked at Tier 1–3
29-option scenario modelling (solar PV, wind, EV adoption, coal phase-out, efficiency…)
GWP AR4 / AR5 / AR6 toggle
Excel / PNG / SVG / JSON export
Custom emission-factor overrides on top of the IPCC + 40+ fuel registry

Scenario modelling

Project stationary, mobile and fugitive emissions forward against a BAU baseline or a custom mitigation pathway. Compare against IPCC 1.5°C (AR6 rapid decarbonisation), 2°C (Paris-compatible) and EU ETS Fit-for-55 templates.

5 interpolation methods · BAU / IPCC 1.5\u00b0C / 2\u00b0C / EU ETS templates · AR4\u2013AR6 GWP · Excel / PNG / SVG / JSON export

Open the Energy tool

02 · IPCC 2006 Vol. 3Free tier available

Industrial Processes & Product Use

Cement, lime, glass, iron & steel, aluminium, ammonia, nitric/adipic acid, F-gases, electronics and non-energy product use — process emissions kept strictly separate from combustion for correct IPCC categorisation.

CO₂N₂OHFCPFCSF₆NF₃NMVOC

sub-sectors

modules

mitigation options

Modules

Module	Scope
2A — Mineral Industry	Cement (8 types incl. CKD), lime (4 types), glass and other carbonate use (CaCO₃, MgCO₃, dolomite, siderite, soda ash)
2C — Metal Industry	Iron & steel (pig iron, DRI, EAF, sinter, coke, pellets, ferro-alloys), aluminium CO₂ (prebake/Söderberg) and PFC (CF₄, C₂F₆)
2B — Chemical Industry	Ammonia, nitric acid (6 plant types), adipic acid
2B4–2B9 — Extended Chemicals	Caprolactam, silicon/calcium carbide, TiO₂, soda ash, petrochemicals (methanol, ethylene, carbon black), HFC-23 from HCFC-22, other fluorochemicals
2F — F-gas (ODS Substitutes)	Tier 1b mass-balance for 15 HFC/PFC species — refrigeration, foam, fire suppression, aerosol, solvent
2E — Electronics Industry	Semiconductor (Tier 1 + 2a), TFT flat panel display, photovoltaic manufacturing, heat-transfer fluids
2D — Non-Energy Products	Lubricants, paraffin wax, asphalt (7 types), solvent use (indirect CO₂ from NMVOC oxidation)
2C4–2C6 — Extended Metals	Primary magnesium (dolomite/magnesite), Mg-casting SF₆ (Tier 1+2), lead (4 processes), zinc (4 processes)

Free

Mineral Industry (Cement / Lime) — Tier 1

Pro

All eight IPPU modules at Tier 1–3
17-option scenario modelling (clinker reduction, EAF conversion, hydrogen DRI, low-GWP refrigerants…)
Built-in CBAM calculator — direct + indirect embedded emissions for cement, steel, aluminium, fertiliser, hydrogen
F-gas mass balance for 15 species with bank, leakage and end-of-life tracking
Excel / PNG / SVG / JSON export

Scenario modelling

Cement: clinker ratio reduction, alternative raw materials, CCS. Iron & steel: EAF conversion, scrap-ratio increase, hydrogen DRI. Aluminium: inert-anode tech, PFC reduction. Chemical: nitric-acid NSCR, catalytic N₂O destruction. F-gas: low-GWP transition, leak reduction, end-of-life recovery.

5 interpolation methods · BAU / IPCC 1.5\u00b0C / 2\u00b0C / EU ETS templates · AR4\u2013AR6 GWP · Excel / PNG / SVG / JSON export

Open the Industrial Processes & Product Use tool

03 · IPCC 2006 Vol. 4Free tier available

Agriculture

Methane and nitrous oxide from livestock, manure management, rice cultivation, managed soils and biomass burning. Simplified or full N-budget accounting, with automatic developed/developing country EF selection.

CH₄N₂OCO₂

sub-sectors

modules

mitigation options

Modules

Module	Scope
Enteric Fermentation	20+ animal categories — cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, swine, camels, horses, deer — with developed / developing country EF variants
Manure Management	11 management systems (pasture, solid storage, lagoon, pit, composting…), 3 temperature bands, N-excretion rates
Rice Cultivation	7 water regimes (continuously flooded → deep water), 4 pre-season types, organic amendments, multi-crop support
Managed Soils	Direct + indirect N₂O from synthetic / organic N, crop residues and PRP. Includes CO₂ from liming and urea. Simplified and advanced input modes
Biomass Burning	Crop-residue burning (10 crop types) and open vegetation burning (savanna, shrubland, grassland)

Free

Enteric Fermentation — Tier 1 · 20+ animal categories

Pro

All five agriculture modules unlocked
Single-call full-inventory mode — every sub-sector calculated in one request
19-option scenario modelling (3-NOP feed additives, biogas capture, AWD rice, precision N, zero-burn…)
Auto-selection of developed vs developing country emission factors
Excel / PNG / SVG / JSON export

Scenario modelling

Enteric: 3-NOP methane inhibitors, improved feed digestibility. Manure: biogas capture, covered storage, composting with energy recovery. Rice: alternate wetting and drying, mid-season drainage. Soils: precision N, nitrification inhibitors. Burning: residue incorporation, zero-burn policies.

5 interpolation methods · BAU / IPCC 1.5\u00b0C / 2\u00b0C / EU ETS templates · AR4\u2013AR6 GWP · Excel / PNG / SVG / JSON export

Open the Agriculture tool

04 · IPCC 2006 Vol. 4Free tier available

LULUCF

Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry: forest carbon sinks, cropland and grassland SOC change, peat oxidation, urban tree biomass and harvested wood products. Net accounting, with auto-SOC reference lookup from IPCC Table 2.3.

CO₂N₂O

ecological zones

modules

—

mitigation options

Modules

Module	Scope
Forest Land	Net biomass C change with the Gain-Loss method (Tier 1). 12 ecological zones, plantation vs natural variants, above- and below-ground biomass ratios
Cropland SOC	Annual mineral SOC change under cropland (Tier 1, IPCC Eq. 2.25). Land-use, management and input factors with auto-SOC reference lookup
Grassland SOC	Stock-difference SOC for grassland + optional organic-soil emissions. F_LU, F_MG, F_I factors with auto-SOC reference lookup
Wetlands & Peatlands	On-site peat oxidation (nutrient-rich/poor), off-site peat extraction, N₂O from nutrient-rich peat, one-off CO₂ from flooded land biomass clearance
Settlements	Urban tree biomass: crown-cover method, individual-plant method, or one-off conversion clearing — species-specific C accumulation rates
Other Land	One-off CO₂ from biomass, dead organic matter and mineral SOC when land converts to other land. 20-year SOC transition
Harvested Wood Products	5 IPCC reporting approaches (SCA, AFA, PA, SDA and direct FOD). First-order decay with K_SOLIDWOOD and K_PAPER. Volume-to-GgC conversion (roundwood, panels, paper, fuelwood)

Free

Forest Land — Gain-Loss Tier 1 (basic)

Pro

Forest Land at full 12 ecological zones
Cropland & grassland SOC with auto-lookup of IPCC Table 2.3 reference values
Wetlands, peatlands and flooded-land emissions
Settlements (3 methods) and Other Land conversion
Harvested Wood Products — all 5 reporting approaches with volume conversion

Open the LULUCF tool

05 · IPCC 2006 Vol. 5Free tier available

Waste

Methane and nitrous oxide from solid waste disposal, biological treatment, incineration and wastewater. Full multi-year FOD stock model and COD-based industrial wastewater accounting.

CH₄N₂OCO₂ (fossil)

wastewater pathways

modules

mitigation options

Modules

Module	Scope
Solid Waste Disposal (FOD)	7 waste types, 6 SWDS categories, 5 climate zones. Single-year simplified mode or multi-year stock model with annual inflow time series
Biological Treatment	Composting and anaerobic digestion — with optional Tier 2 EF overrides and CH₄ recovery
Waste Incineration	7 technology types (continuous stoker, rotary kiln, fluidized bed, open burning…) plus optional fossil-CO₂ mass-balance (IPCC Eq. 5.1)
Wastewater Treatment	14 domestic pathways with MCF + 10 industrial sectors (COD-based CH₄) + N₂O from effluent and treatment plant (3 plant pathway types, IPCC Table 6.11 auto-lookup)

Free

Solid Waste Disposal — FOD Single-Year Tier 1

Pro

Multi-year FOD model with annual inflow time series
Biological treatment — composting + anaerobic digestion
Incineration — 7 technologies + optional fossil-CO₂ mass-balance
Domestic + industrial wastewater (24 pathways total)
16-option scenario modelling (LFG capture, organic diversion, waste-to-energy, aerobic upgrade…)

Scenario modelling

Landfill: LFG capture, organic-waste diversion, improved cover systems. Biological: anaerobic digestion, energy recovery. Incineration: waste-to-energy, advanced thermal treatment. Wastewater: aerobic-treatment upgrade, CH₄ recovery.

5 interpolation methods · BAU / IPCC 1.5\u00b0C / 2\u00b0C / EU ETS templates · AR4\u2013AR6 GWP · Excel / PNG / SVG / JSON export

Open the Waste tool

Section 02

Corporate Carbon Footprint

Built around the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and ISO 14064-1:2018. Scope 1, 2 and 3 calculated in a single tool, with location-based and market-based parallel reporting for Scope 2, all 15 Scope 3 categories, PCAF Cat. 15 and CBAM exposure analysis.

Scope 1 · 2 · 3

Integrated calculation of direct, energy-indirect and value-chain emissions on a single platform — all 15 Scope 3 categories included.

GHG Protocol / ISO 14064-1:2018

Full GHG Protocol Corporate Standard compliance, structured to ISO 14064-1:2018 with AR5 GWP — outputs ready for third-party verification.

PCAF — Cat. 15 Investments

PCAF methodology for financed emissions (attribution factor = outstanding exposure ÷ EVIC) — critical for financial institutions and real-estate companies.

Dual Reporting (Scope 2)

Parallel location-based and market-based calculation, side by side in a single report.

CBAM Readiness

Data generation aligned with EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism requirements for cement, steel, aluminium, fertiliser, hydrogen and electricity.

NACE Sectoral Benchmarking

NACE-code-based carbon-intensity comparison so you can position your organisation against sector averages.

Report Outputs

PDF report, Excel export and print — all structured to ISO 14064-1 reporting requirements.

Scopes 1, 2 and 3 — what is calculated

Scope 1Direct emissions

Stationary combustion — liquid, solid, gas fuels
Mobile combustion — land / air / sea
Process emissions — chemical reactions
Fugitive emissions — refrigerants, SF₆, CH₄

Scope 2Energy indirect (dual reporting)

Location-based — country / regional grid emission factor
Market-based — energy certificates / contracts / supplier-specific EF
Purchased steam, heat and cooling

Scope 3Value chain — all 15 categories

Cat. 1 — Purchased goods and services
Cat. 2 — Capital goods
Cat. 3 — Fuel- and energy-related activities (WTT + T&D losses)
Cat. 4 — Upstream transport and distribution
Cat. 5 — Waste generated in operations
Cat. 6 — Business travel
Cat. 7 — Employee commuting
Cat. 8 — Upstream leased assets
Cat. 9 — Downstream transport and distribution
Cat. 10 — Processing of sold products
Cat. 11 — Use of sold products
Cat. 12 — End-of-life treatment of sold products
Cat. 13 — Downstream leased assets
Cat. 14 — Franchises
Cat. 15 — Investments (PCAF financed emissions)

Open Carbontrack View Plans

Section 03

Cross-cutting capabilities

Capabilities that apply across every tool in the platform — from GWP version control to audit-ready exports.

AR4 / AR5 / AR6 GWP — selectable per calculation

Different reporting frameworks demand different GWP versions — sometimes in the same year. CarbonTiers lets you switch between IPCC AR4, AR5 and AR6 on every calculation, flag mismatches across modules and produce side-by-side comparisons. Default per framework: AR5 for GHG Protocol, AR6 for forward-looking CDP disclosures.

Tier 1 → Tier 3 progression on every module

Start with IPCC default factors (Tier 1) for screening, upgrade to country-specific factors (Tier 2) as data quality improves, then move to plant- or facility-level measurement (Tier 3) when verification demands it. The Tier choice is recorded against every line item.

Scenario modelling — 81 mitigation options across sectors

Energy 29 + IPPU 17 + Agriculture 19 + Waste 16 mitigation options, each tied to a specific IPCC sub-category. Multiplicative stacking (not additive — which overstates combined impact). Five interpolation methods (linear, exponential, S-curve, polynomial, step). BAU / IPCC 1.5°C / 2°C / EU ETS Fit-for-55 templates included out of the box.

Multi-country grid factor library

Built-in country and regional grid emission factors for Scope 2 location-based reporting. Custom-override support for market-based (residual mix, supplier-specific, REC/PPA), plus T&D loss rates per country. The full library is browsable below.

Audit-ready exports — Excel / PNG / SVG / JSON

Every result exports to .xlsx (full activity-data + EF + GWP + tier audit trail), structured PDF (ISO 14064-1 layout), PNG / SVG charts and machine-readable JSON. Your outputs stay yours — even after a subscription closes.

CBAM module — EU border-tax exposure

Direct and indirect embedded emissions for the six CBAM-covered goods (cement, iron & steel, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity, hydrogen). Quarterly XML output aligned with the EU registry format. Integrated with the IPPU and Carbontrack tools so the same activity data is reused.

Full calculation traceability

Every tonne of CO₂e is linked to its activity datum (fuel in TJ, electricity in kWh, output in tonnes), the emission factor used, its IPCC reference, the tier level and the GWP version applied. Auditors can rebuild any number from the export alone.

Intensity metrics & ISO 14064-1 mapping

Accept revenue, headcount, floor area or production volume as denominators and emit intensity metrics alongside absolutes. Auto-generated GHG Protocol summary mapped to ISO 14064-1’s six indirect emission categories with uncertainty analysis.

Section 04

Methodological foundation

Every calculation in CarbonTiers traces back to one of these published standards. References are recorded against every line item in the audit export.

IPCC 2006 Guidelines (Vol. 1–5)

Every sector tool implements the equations directly from the IPCC 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, with the 2019 Refinement applied where it strengthens accuracy. The reference is recorded against each line item.

GHG Protocol Corporate Standard

The Carbontrack tool implements the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard for Scope 1, 2 and 3 — including the 2015 Scope 2 Guidance for dual location-based and market-based reporting.

ISO 14064-1:2018

Every Carbontrack output is structured to ISO 14064-1:2018, including the standard’s six categories of indirect emissions and the requirement for documented uncertainty analysis.

PCAF Global Standard

Scope 3 Cat. 15 (financed emissions) follows the PCAF Global GHG Accounting and Reporting Standard — attribution factor = outstanding exposure ÷ EVIC.

EU CBAM Implementing Regulation

The CBAM module implements the EU Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1773 for default and actual values, plus the quarterly XML registry format.

UNFCCC CRF tables

Sectoral results export directly into the UNFCCC Common Reporting Framework table structure for ministries preparing national inventory submissions.

Section 05

Quick-start workflow

Four steps from activity data to audit-ready report. Most users finish a first inventory in well under an hour.

Step 1

Choose a tool

Pick one of the five sector tools or open Carbontrack for a corporate inventory. Free Tier 1 entry points are available across every sector.

Step 2

Enter activity data

Use IPCC sub-module forms with units enforced (TJ, kWh, tonnes, head, ha…). Manual entry, Excel import or API integration are all supported.

Step 3

Pick GWP & Tier

Select AR4 / AR5 / AR6 and Tier 1 / 2 / 3. The platform records both choices against every line for verification.

Step 4

Calculate, model, export

Run the calculation, optionally project the result forward with scenario modelling, then export Excel / PDF / PNG / SVG / JSON. Outputs are audit-ready.

Section 06

Frequently asked

Is CarbonTiers IPCC 2006 compliant?▾

Yes — every sector tool implements the IPCC 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Vol. 1–5 directly, with the 2019 Refinement applied where it strengthens accuracy.

Which GWP version does the platform use?▾

You choose. AR4, AR5 and AR6 are all selectable per calculation. Carbontrack defaults to AR5 to match the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard requirement; sector tools accept any of the three.

Can I run a national inventory and a corporate inventory on the same account?▾

Yes. The five sector tools produce IPCC-format national inventories. Carbontrack produces a GHG Protocol / ISO 14064-1 corporate inventory. They share the same emission-factor library and audit trail.

Is CBAM included?▾

Yes. The CBAM module is bundled with IPPU and Carbontrack and uses the EU Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1773 default and actual-value structure with quarterly XML output.

Can I export the underlying calculations for an auditor?▾

Yes. The Excel export includes the full audit trail — activity data, emission factor, IPCC reference, tier, GWP version and result — row by row.

Is there a free tier?▾

Yes. Each of the five sector tools has a free Tier 1 entry point (see the per-sector cards above). Pro plans unlock the rest. Carbontrack requires a Pro plan.

IPCC 2006 · GHG Protocol · ISO 14064-1:2018 · PCAF · CBAM

Start with the free Tier 1.
Upgrade only when you need more.

Free Tier 1 entry across every IPCC sector. No credit card. No demo call. Run your first inventory in five minutes.

View Plans Try Free

Appendix

Multi-country grid factor library

Built-in country and regional grid emission factors used by Scope 2 location-based reporting in Carbontrack and the Energy tool. Custom overrides for market-based calculations are supported.

Grid Emission Factor Library

9 countries and regions · 13 distinct vintage entries · sourced from national authorities.

Country / region	Latest year	EF (tCO₂/MWh)	Source	Vintages
Turkey	2025	0.4360	TEIİAŞ	5
EU-27 average	2022	0.2760	IEA	1
Germany	2022	0.3850	UBA	1
France	2022	0.0560	RTE	1
United Kingdom	2024	0.2070	DEFRA	1
United States	2022	0.3860	EPA eGRID	1
Japan	2022	0.4700	MoE Japan	1
China	2021	0.5810	NDRC	1
India	2022	0.7080	CEA	1

The complete guide to CarbonTiers

The five IPCC sector tools

Energy

Industrial Processes & Product Use

Agriculture

LULUCF

Waste

Corporate Carbon Footprint

Scopes 1, 2 and 3 — what is calculated

Cross-cutting capabilities

AR4 / AR5 / AR6 GWP — selectable per calculation

Tier 1 → Tier 3 progression on every module

Scenario modelling — 81 mitigation options across sectors

Multi-country grid factor library

Audit-ready exports — Excel / PNG / SVG / JSON

CBAM module — EU border-tax exposure

Full calculation traceability

Intensity metrics & ISO 14064-1 mapping

Methodological foundation

Quick-start workflow

Choose a tool

Enter activity data

Pick GWP & Tier

Calculate, model, export

Frequently asked

Start with the free Tier 1.Upgrade only when you need more.

Multi-country grid factor library

Start with the free Tier 1.
Upgrade only when you need more.