5 essential data categories for greenhouse gas inventory

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In recent years, greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories have become a mandatory requirement for many enterprises listed under Decision No. 13/2024/QD-TTg issued by the Prime Minister.

In practice, however, many enterprises only begin collecting data when the reporting deadline approaches. This often results in missing data, misplaced records, inconsistencies between departments, and significant time spent on data consolidation and explanation.

Under current regulations, data used for greenhouse gas inventories must be complete, transparent, and verifiable. Therefore, establishing a systematic process for collecting and maintaining data from the beginning of the year is essential to improve reporting quality and significantly reduce the workload during the inventory reporting period.

Below are the five categories of data that enterprises should collect and maintain on a monthly basis.

  1. Electricity Consumption Data

Electricity consumption is typically the largest source of indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 2) in many manufacturing facilities.

Enterprises should retain:

  • Electricity bills
  • Main electricity meter readings
  • Sub-meter readings by workshop or production line (if available)
  • Monthly electricity consumption reports

Maintaining detailed electricity consumption records not only supports greenhouse gas inventory preparation but also enables enterprises to evaluate energy efficiency across different production areas.

Data used for greenhouse gas inventories should be complete, transparent, and verifiable.

  1. Fuel Consumption Data

Fuels such as diesel (DO), fuel oil (FO), coal, LPG, CNG, and natural gas are important sources of direct greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1).

Enterprises should retain:

  • Fuel purchase invoices
  • Warehouse receiving and issuing records
  • Fuel distribution logs
  • Fuel consumption reports by equipment or production area (if available)

In addition, fuel purchase records, inventory levels, and actual consumption should be regularly reconciled to ensure data accuracy.

  1. Refrigerant Data

Refrigerants (R22, R32, R410A, R134a, etc.) are often overlooked as a source of greenhouse gas emissions during the inventory process.

Enterprises should retain:

  • Maintenance logs for air-conditioning and cold storage systems
  • Records of refrigerant charging, replacement, or replenishment
  • Repair records related to refrigerant leakage incidents

Maintaining complete refrigerant records enables enterprises to accurately quantify emissions from refrigerants with high Global Warming Potential (GWP).

  1. Production Output Data

Production output data serves as the basis for determining indicators such as:

  • Greenhouse gas emission intensity
  • Emissions per unit of product
  • Emission reduction performance over time

Enterprises should retain:

  • Finished product output
  • By-product output
  • Scrap quantity
  • Monthly production reports

These data are also essential for conducting Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), calculating product carbon footprints, and preparing ESG reports.

  1. Equipment Operation Data

Equipment operation logs provide supporting evidence to verify the reasonableness of energy and fuel consumption.

Enterprises should record:

  • Equipment operating hours
  • Boiler and generator operation logs
  • Forklift and internal transport vehicle operation logs
  • Other information related to the operation of energy-consuming equipment

These records improve the reliability of greenhouse gas inventory results and facilitate verification when required.

Digitalize Your Data Management System

Managing records using paper documents or multiple Excel files can lead to data loss and significantly increase the time required to consolidate reports.

Enterprises are encouraged to establish a centralized data management system or adopt appropriate software solutions to:

  • Collect data on a regular basis
  • Easily retrieve and reconcile information
  • Minimize the risk of document loss
  • Be well prepared for GHG inventory preparation, verification, and regulatory inspections
  • Improve greenhouse gas emissions management efficiency

Key Recommendations

To ensure an effective greenhouse gas inventory process, enterprises should:

  • Clearly assign responsibilities for data collection across relevant departments
  • Standardize monthly data collection templates
  • Regularly reconcile data among the Accounting, HSE, Production, and Warehouse departments
  • Maintain complete supporting documents for future verification purposes
  • Periodically review data quality before preparing the greenhouse gas inventory report

A greenhouse gas inventory is not only a regulatory compliance requirement but also a foundation for enterprises to develop emission reduction roadmaps, improve resource efficiency, and meet the increasing expectations of customers, investors, and global supply chains.

Establishing a systematic monthly data collection and record-keeping process enables enterprises to proactively manage greenhouse gas inventories, reduce reporting pressure, and enhance the credibility and accuracy of inventory results.

VNCPC