Scope 1 Emissions

What Are Scope 1 Emissions?

Scope 1 covers emissions physically released into the atmosphere by your operations. For most businesses, this is a fairly small but important set of activities. The data tends to be easier to collect, and because it’s under your control, reductions are often more achievable than in other areas of your footprint.

At Seedling, we emphasise gathering accurate activity data rather than relying on spend, so any improvements you make will show up properly in your results year-on-year.

Typical contributors include:

• Fuel burned for heating or onsite equipment
• Fuel used in company-owned or leased vehicles
• Refrigerants leaking from AC or refrigeration
• Any direct industrial or chemical processes

Examples of Scope 1 Emissions

While every business is different, most businesses see Scope 1 emissions coming from a few predictable places. Heating systems are a common one: natural gas, LPG, or oil-fired boilers all release emissions directly onsite. Company vehicles are another major contributor if you own vans, cars, forklifts, or any mobile machinery.

Refrigerant leakage often surprises teams. Even small leaks from air conditioning or commercial fridges can carry a high carbon impact due to the global warming potential of the gases involved.

Examples include:

• Natural gas used for space heating
• Diesel or petrol burned in company vehicles or generators
• LPG for industrial heaters
• Refrigerant top-ups or leaks from AC units or chillers

How to Calculate Scope 1 Emissions

To calculate Scope 1 emissions, you need activity data that reflects what was actually consumed or leaked. This is where most businesses benefit from a clear, structured process.

For stationary fuel use, gather:

• Gas meter readings (kWh)
• Oil or LPG consumption (litres)
• Records of generator fuel use

For business-owned vehicles, collect:

• Litres of petrol or diesel purchased
• Mileage data broken down by vehicle and fuel type
• Telematics data if you use fleet management tools

For refrigerants:

• Type of refrigerant gas
• Installed quantity
• Amount leaked or topped up during maintenance

Using Seedling’s calculation engine, you can then apply the correct DEFRA emission factors, and our advisers check everything to make sure it’s fully aligned with the GHG Protocol.

How to Reduce Scope 1 Emissions

Because Scope 1 sits within your control, it’s often where businesses can make early progress. Many businesses start by looking at building heat and vehicles, since these are usually the biggest sources.

Effective approaches include:

• Improving insulation and phasing out older boilers or generators in favour of cleaner alternatives
• Replacing high-leak or high-GWP refrigeration and HVAC units
• Transitioning company vehicles to electric when they naturally reach end-of-life
• Reducing unnecessary mileage through route optimisation or operational changes
• Introducing refrigerant leak detection and regular maintenance

With Seedling, you can quantify the impact of these changes and prioritise what makes the most difference. All these steps feed directly into your Net Zero or Climate Transition Plan, which you can share easily with stakeholders.