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
| 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
- 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
- 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
- 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)
- 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
- 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
Data Flow
Identify Capital Assets
Classify by Asset Type
Choose Calculation Method
Create Capital Goods Records
expense_type: "capex" to classify as Category 2Query and Analyze
Step 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
- 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 |

