Aviation Gasoline (Avgas)
Reviewed by Afonso Firmo, Co-Founder & Director · Updated 7 July 2026
Aviation gasoline (avgas) emits 2.2395 kg CO₂-e per litre in piston aircraft (NGA Factors 2025). Worked examples, calculator and NGER-ready guidance.
Emission Factor Value
2.2395 kg CO₂-e/litre
Try it with your own numbers
Estimated emissions
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Avgas burned in aircraft you operate is Scope 1. Calculated as litres × 2.2395 kg CO₂-e/L (NGA Factors 2025, Table 9). Add 0.5958 kg CO₂-e/L separately for upstream Scope 3.
Official Source & Citation
This emission factor is sourced from the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025 , Table 9 — Fuels used for transport energy purposes, published by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).
Citation: DCCEEW (2025). Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025. Commonwealth of Australia. Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/national-greenhouse-accounts-factors-2025
Notes
Derived from NGA Factors 2025 Table 9: energy content 33.1 GJ/kL × combined Scope 1 emission factor 67.66 kg CO₂-e/GJ = 2,239.5 kg CO₂-e/kL, i.e. 2.2395 kg CO₂-e per litre. Applies to piston-engine aircraft; turbine aircraft use aviation turbine fuel at 2.5837 kg/L. The upstream (Scope 3) factor is 18 kg CO₂-e/GJ (0.5958 kg CO₂-e/litre), reported separately.
Calculation Example
If a flight school consumed 12,000 litres of avgas during the year:
| Working | Result |
|---|---|
| 12,000 L × 2.2395 kg CO₂-e/L = 26,874 kg CO₂-e | 26.87 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1) |
Flight schools, agricultural operators and private owners keep Australia’s piston-engine fleet flying on avgas — and every litre uplifted belongs in someone’s Scope 1 inventory. The arithmetic is simpler than a fuel log: litres times one factor.
The value below comes from the NGA Factors 2025 for the 2025–26 reporting year. Apply it to refuelling records directly, or automate it with a Scope 1 and 2 calculator.
Quick Verdict
Aviation gasoline (avgas) burned in piston-engine aircraft in Australia emits 2.2395 kg CO₂-e per litre, reported under Scope 1 by the aircraft operator. The factor is derived from an energy content of 33.1 GJ/kL and the combined emission factor of 67.66 kg CO₂-e/GJ in Table 9 of the NGA Factors 2025. It applies to flying schools, aerial agriculture, charter and private operators of piston aircraft. Turbine aircraft use aviation turbine fuel instead, at 2.5837 kg CO₂-e per litre. Upstream fuel-supply emissions add 0.5958 kg CO₂-e per litre under Scope 3.
How to Calculate Avgas Emissions
Emissions (kg CO₂-e) = Litres of avgas × 2.2395
Or in NGA energy terms: E (t CO₂-e) = kL × 33.1 GJ/kL × 67.66 kg CO₂-e/GJ ÷ 1,000.
Worked Example 1: Private Light Aircraft
A privately operated Cessna flies an assumed 100 hours at 38 L/hour — 3,800 litres.
100 hours × 38 L/hour = 3,800 L
3,800 L × 2.2395 = 8,510.1 kg CO₂-e
8.51 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
Worked Example 2: Flight School
A flying school’s training fleet uplifts 12,000 litres of avgas over the year.
12,000 L × 2.2395 = 26,874 kg CO₂-e
26.87 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
Worked Example 3: Agricultural Operator
An aerial spraying business consumes 25,000 litres across the season.
25,000 L × 2.2395 = 55,987.5 kg CO₂-e
55.99 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
How Avgas Compares to Other Transport Fuels
| Fuel (transport use) | Scope 1 factor (kg CO₂-e/L) |
|---|---|
| Diesel (cars & LCVs) | 2.7178 |
| Aviation turbine fuel | 2.5837 |
| Petrol | 2.3126 |
| Aviation gasoline (avgas) | 2.2395 |
| LPG (transport) | 1.5982 |
| Renewable aviation kerosene (SAF) | 0.0224 |
All values from NGA Factors 2025, Table 9.
NGER and AASB S2 Reporting
Avgas combusted domestically is Scope 1 transport energy under the NGER scheme, reported with Table 9 factors by operators meeting the thresholds. Under AASB S2, operated aircraft emissions form part of your mandatory Scope 1 disclosure, with chartered flying captured in Scope 3 where material.
Related Emission Factors
Frequently Asked Questions
Disclaimer
This page is provided for general information, not professional or compliance advice. The factor shown is reproduced from the official publication cited above, and while we work to keep it current, government factors change — the publication is always the authoritative source.
- Before using this value in any formal reporting — including under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 — confirm it against the current official publication and the methods specified by the Clean Energy Regulator.
- NetNada is independent of the Australian Government, DCCEEW, and the Clean Energy Regulator. Government data is Crown copyright, Commonwealth of Australia.