The national emission factors under Decision No. 2626/QĐ-BTNMT

In the context of increasingly severe climate change, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factors have become an essential tool for inventorying and managing GHG emissions in Vietnam. On October 10, 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued Decision No. 2626/QĐ-BTNMT. This document introduces a set of national standard factors, laying the foundation for enterprises and regulatory agencies to conduct reporting, assess emission reduction effectiveness, and move towards the Net Zero 2050 target.

The new set of indicators plays a key role in measuring emissions from energy production and consumption. At the same time, the issuance of Decision 2626 not only standardizes the inventory process nationwide but also establishes a unified scientific and legal foundation.

In addition, this decision provides specific data for each sector and industry. This gives enterprises a clear legal basis for calculating and reporting emissions. Moreover, the set of factors helps Vietnam meet international transparency requirements on climate change, including the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.

1. What is an emission factor?

An emission factor is an index that represents the amount of GHG emissions released from a specific activity. This value is calculated per unit of input such as fuel, raw materials, product, or process.

Examples:

• Burning 1 ton of diesel oil emits about 3.2 tons of CO₂.

• Producing 1 kWh of electricity from coal emits about 0.95 kg of CO₂.

In general, emission factors are developed based on domestic research data combined with international guidelines. Therefore, they accurately reflect the characteristics of technologies, fuels, and conditions in Vietnam.

2. The role of emission factors

Emission factors serve as the cornerstone for GHG inventorying and emission reduction strategy planning. Specifically:

2.1. Standardizing emission calculations

• Provide organizations, enterprises, and regulators with a common “language” for reporting emissions.

• Avoid discrepancies caused by different methods or assumptions.

2.2. Basis for transparent reporting

• Fulfill requirements from international agreements (UNFCCC, Paris Agreement).

• Serve as scientific evidence for national and corporate GHG inventory reports.

2.3. Supporting emission reduction strategies

• Provide enterprises with a basis to propose solutions to reduce energy consumption and apply green technologies.

• Help identify “emission hotspots” in energy production and consumption.

2.4. Promoting sustainable development & Net Zero

• Serve as a tool to measure and monitor progress toward Vietnam’s Net Zero 2050 commitment.

• Support carbon credit trading activities, enhancing international competitiveness.

3. Sectors applying national emission factors

According to Decision 2626/QĐ-BTNMT, emission factors are specified for four main sectors:

• Energy

• Industrial processes and product use

• Agriculture, forestry, and land use

• Waste

4. Emission factors under IPCC guidelines

In Vietnam’s GHG inventories, IPCC emission factors are divided into three tiers:

4.1. Tier 1 emission factors

• Description: Use default emission factors provided by IPCC.

• Application: When the country lacks sufficient or reliable local data.

• Example: The CO₂ emission factor for anthracite coal is 98,300 kg CO₂/TJ.

4.2. Tier 2 emission factors

• Description: Based on national/regional emission factors, more accurate than Tier 1.

• Application: When specific national-level data on fuels and activities are available.

• Example: The CO₂ emission factor for diesel oil may be adjusted according to national consumption data.

4.3. Tier 3 emission factors

• Description: Use detailed models and specific data for each emission source.

• Application: When sufficient data are available, enabling modeling based on specific technologies and processes.

• Example: An emission model of a coal-fired power plant based on its technology and operating efficiency.

5. What is CO₂e?

CO₂e (Carbon dioxide equivalent) is the unit used to measure the amount of GHG emissions in terms of CO₂ equivalent. It allows for comparison of the impact of different GHGs on global warming.

CO₂e = CO₂ + CH₄ + N₂O + other GHGs

When preparing a GHG inventory report, enterprises must express emissions in CO₂e – that is, the total GHG emissions converted into CO₂ equivalent.

In reality, each GHG has a different impact on global warming. In other words, the same mass of CH₄ or N₂O can cause much greater effects than CO₂.

Examples of emission factor conversion:

• 1 kg CH₄ → 1 × 25 = 25 kg CO₂e

• 0.5 kg N₂O → 0.5 × 298 = 149 kg CO₂e

To reflect these differences, the Global Warming Potential (GWP) index is used to convert various gases into a common standard measure.

6. What is GWP?

GWP stands for Global Warming Potential, which measures the warming effect of a GHG compared to CO₂. In other words, GWP indicates how many times more a ton of a given GHG contributes to global warming compared to a ton of CO₂ over a specified time period (typically 100 years).

Common GWP values according to IPCC:

• CO₂: GWP = 1

• CH₄ (Methane): GWP = 25

• N₂O (Nitrous oxide): GWP = 298

Conclusion

The emission factors serving GHG inventorying – Decision No. 2626/QĐ-BTNMT – are not only a technical tool but also a “compass” guiding Vietnam closer to its sustainable development goals and Net Zero commitments. Enterprises need to promptly update, apply, and implement suitable solutions to both comply with the law and enhance competitiveness in the green economy era.

💡 To support enterprises in conducting GHG inventories and managing emissions in compliance with Decision 2626/QĐ-BTNMT, Uzero was created as a comprehensive tool.

Uzero is a collaborative product between Udata and Zeroboard, designed to:

• Automatically calculate GHG emissions according to national standards (2626/QĐ-BTNMT) and international frameworks (IPCC, GHG Protocol).

• Manage and monitor emission data in real time.

• Support enterprises in preparing transparent reports that meet the requirements of regulators, investors, and international partners.

• Build emission reduction roadmaps, contributing to the Net Zero 2050 goal.

With Uzero, enterprises not only ensure compliance but also enhance competitiveness and reaffirm their commitment to sustainable development in the green economy era.

👉 Contact us now for free consultation on accurate GHG inventory and reduction roadmaps aligned with Decision 2626/QĐ-BTNMT.

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