Australia’s estimates of indirect emissions from purchased electricity generation from 1990 to 2020, by economic sector. Indirect emissions from this source are known as ‘scope 2 emissions’.
Explore annual indirect emissions data
You can select data by economic sector and location, and see changes in emissions over several years. Mouse over and click to view emissions for any year.
Source: National Inventory by Economic Sector 2020 (DCCEEW, 2022)
About the data
We define scope 2 (indirect) emissions in the National Greenhouse Accounts Factors (NGA Factors, 2020). They are based on The Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A corporate accounting and reporting standard (revised edition) (WRI/WBCSD, 2004).
The indirect emissions in the first data set is from purchased electricity generation. We have allocated emissions from the generation of electricity to electricity consumers according to the share of electricity consumption of each economic sector.
These data estimate the contribution of emissions generated off site (in the electricity industry) as a result of economic activity in other sectors. They reflect the interdependence of economic sectors across the Australian economy.
In the combined direct and indirect data set, we have removed the direct emissions associated with electricity generation. This is to avoid double counting as they are already within the indirect emissions from purchased electricity.
You should be cautious when analysing combined emissions due to the different conceptual bases of the emission estimate components. Direct emissions are allocated to industries at the point of emissions. Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity do not occur within the industry to which they are attributed.