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?
| Aspect | Category 1 (Purchased Goods) | Category 2 (Capital Goods) |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Operational expenditure (OPEX) | Capital expenditure (CAPEX) |
| Consumption | Consumed/used within reporting year | Multi-year useful life |
| Examples | Raw materials, services, supplies | Buildings, machinery, vehicles |
| Accounting | Full emissions in year of purchase | Can be amortized over useful life |
| Dcycle field | expense_type: "opex" | expense_type: "capex" |
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
Identify Capital Assets
Review your fixed asset register to identify assets acquired during the reporting period
Classify by Asset Type
Categorize assets (buildings, machinery, vehicles, IT, etc.) for appropriate emission factors
Choose Calculation Method
Select spend-based, activity-based, or supplier-specific based on available data
Create Capital Goods Records
Record assets via API with
expense_type: "capex" to classify as Category 2Step 4.2.1: Create a Spend-Based Capital Good
📋 Data Map: Spend-Based Capital Good
📋 Data Map: Spend-Based Capital Good
| Field | Type | Required | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
description | string | ❌ | Asset description | "New manufacturing equipment" |
sector | string | ✅ | Economic sector | "Manufacture of machinery" |
product_name | string | ✅ | Product/asset category | "Machinery and equipment n.e.c." |
quantity | number | ✅ | Acquisition cost | 500000 |
unit_id | UUID | ✅ | Currency unit (€) | "eur-unit-uuid" |
country | string | ✅ | Country of manufacture | "DE" |
purchase_date | date | ✅ | Acquisition date | "2024-03-15" |
expense_type | string | ✅ | Must be “capex” | "capex" |
supplier_id | UUID | ❌ | Linked supplier | "supplier-uuid" |
- 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
| Field | Type | Required | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
description | string | ❌ | Asset description | "Steel production equipment" |
sector | string | ✅ | Product sector | "Manufacture of basic metals" |
product_name | string | ✅ | Specific product | "Basic iron and steel" |
quantity | number | ✅ | Physical quantity | 15000 |
unit_id | UUID | ✅ | Physical unit (kg) | "kg-unit-uuid" |
country | string | ✅ | Country of manufacture | "DE" |
purchase_date | date | ✅ | Acquisition date | "2024-03-15" |
expense_type | string | ✅ | Must be “capex” | "capex" |
supplier_id | UUID | ❌ | Equipment manufacturer | "supplier-uuid" |
- 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
| Field | Type | Required | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
description | string | ❌ | Asset description | "Low-carbon HVAC system" |
quantity | number | ✅ | Physical quantity | 1 |
unit_id | UUID | ✅ | Unit | "unit-uuid" |
purchase_date | date | ✅ | Acquisition date | "2024-03-15" |
expense_type | string | ✅ | Must be “capex” | "capex" |
supplier_id | UUID | ✅ | Equipment manufacturer | "supplier-uuid" |
custom_emission_factor_id | UUID | ✅ | Custom EF from manufacturer EPD | "custom-ef-uuid" |
- 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:| Asset Type | Exiobase Sector | Typical EF (kg CO₂e/€) |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings - Commercial | Construction | 0.30 - 0.45 |
| Buildings - Industrial | Construction | 0.35 - 0.50 |
| Machinery - General | Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c. | 0.40 - 0.55 |
| Vehicles - Trucks | Manufacture of motor vehicles | 0.35 - 0.45 |
| Vehicles - Cars | Manufacture of motor vehicles | 0.30 - 0.40 |
| IT - Servers | Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products | 0.25 - 0.40 |
| IT - Computers | Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products | 0.20 - 0.35 |
| HVAC Systems | Manufacture of electrical equipment | 0.35 - 0.50 |
| Furniture | Manufacture of furniture | 0.25 - 0.40 |

