Coal Tar
Reviewed by Afonso Firmo, Co-Founder & Director · Updated 7 July 2026
Coal tar has an emission factor of 3,076.13 kg CO₂-e per tonne combusted (NGA Factors 2025). Calculate Scope 1 emissions with worked examples and tools.
Emission Factor Value
3,076.13 kg CO₂-e/tonne
Try it with your own numbers
Estimated emissions
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Fuel combustion emissions are reported under Scope 1. Calculated as quantity × 3,076.13 kg CO₂-e per tonne (37.5 GJ/t × 82.03 kg CO₂-e/GJ, NGA Factors 2025 Table 4).
Official Source & Citation
This emission factor is sourced from the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025 , Table 4 — Solid fuels and certain coal-based products, 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 4: energy content 37.5 GJ/t × combined Scope 1 emission factor 82.03 kg CO₂-e/GJ = 3,076.13 kg CO₂-e per tonne. No Scope 3 upstream factor is estimated for coal tar in NGA 2025. 1 tonne combusted = 3,076.13 kg CO₂-e.
Calculation Example
If your facility combusted 15 tonnes of coal tar during the year:
| Working | Result |
|---|---|
| 15 t × 3,076.13 kg CO₂-e/t = 46,141.95 kg CO₂-e | 46.14 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1) |
Coal tar is the dense liquid by-product of coke making, and when it is burned as a fuel it claims an unexpected title: the highest per-tonne emission factor in the solid fuels table of the National Greenhouse Accounts. If your facility combusts tar for process heat, it deserves careful treatment in your Scope 1 inventory.
The trick is that coal tar’s per-gigajoule factor is actually modest — its extraordinary energy density does the damage. Here is the 2025–26 factor with worked examples you can check against a Scope 1 and 2 calculator.
Quick Verdict
Coal tar has a combined Scope 1 emission factor of 82.03 kg CO₂-e per gigajoule under the NGA Factors 2025. With an energy content of 37.5 GJ per tonne — the highest in Table 4 — every tonne combusted produces 3,076.13 kg of CO₂-equivalent. Emissions are reported under Scope 1 by the organisation operating the combustion plant, typically integrated steelworks and coke-oven by-product users. NGA 2025 does not estimate an upstream Scope 3 factor for coal tar. Values are published by DCCEEW for the 2025–26 reporting year.
How to Calculate Coal Tar Emissions
Emissions (t CO₂-e) = Quantity (t) × Energy content (37.5 GJ/t) × Emission factor (82.03 kg CO₂-e/GJ) ÷ 1,000
Worked Example 1: Steelworks burning 200 tonnes of by-product tar
An integrated steelworks combusts 200 tonnes of recovered coal tar. Using the tabled per-tonne factor:
200 t × 3,076.13 kg CO₂-e/t = 615,226 kg CO₂-e
615.23 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
Worked Example 2: Process fuel top-up of 15 tonnes
A chemical plant burns 15 tonnes of tar as supplementary fuel.
15 t × 3,076.13 kg CO₂-e/t = 46,141.95 kg CO₂-e
46.14 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
Worked Example 3: Energy-based records of 750 GJ
A site’s energy accounting shows 750 GJ of coal tar consumed.
750 GJ × 82.03 kg CO₂-e/GJ = 61,522.5 kg CO₂-e
61.52 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
How Coal Tar Compares to Other Solid Fuels
| Fuel | Energy content (GJ/t) | Scope 1 EF (kg CO₂-e/GJ) | kg CO₂-e per tonne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal tar | 37.5 | 82.03 | 3,076.13 |
| Coal coke | 27 | 107.23 | 2,895.21 |
| Coking coal | 30 | 92.03 | 2,760.90 |
| Anthracite | 29 | 90.24 | 2,616.96 |
| Bituminous coal | 27 | 90.24 | 2,436.48 |
| Charcoal (biomass) | 31.1 | 6.3 | 195.93 |
NGER and AASB S2 Reporting
Coal tar combustion sits alongside coke and coal streams in NGER submissions for metallurgical facilities, using current Table 4 factors. Under AASB S2, the same Scope 1 emissions must be disclosed in your climate statement — treat combusted tar as its own fuel line rather than folding it into coke totals.
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.