Liquid Fuels Scope 1 (Direct — fuel combustion)

Diesel Oil (Transport Use)

Reviewed by Afonso Firmo, Co-Founder & Director · Updated 7 July 2026

Diesel in cars and light commercial vehicles emits 2.7178 kg CO₂-e per litre (NGA Factors 2025). Worked examples, calculator and NGER-ready guidance.

Emission Factor Value

2.7178 kg CO₂-e/litre

Try it with your own numbers

Diesel consumed (transport use) Unit

Estimated emissions

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Diesel burned in vehicles your organisation owns or controls is Scope 1. Calculated as litres × 2.7178 kg CO₂-e/L (NGA Factors 2025, Table 9, cars and light commercial vehicles). Add 0.6678 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

View official publication ↗

Notes

Derived from NGA Factors 2025 Table 9 (cars and light commercial vehicles): energy content 38.6 GJ/kL × combined Scope 1 emission factor 70.41 kg CO₂-e/GJ = 2,717.8 kg CO₂-e/kL, i.e. 2.7178 kg CO₂-e per litre. Heavy-duty vehicles use slightly different per-GJ factors (Euro IV+ 70.37, Euro III 70.4, Euro I 70.5). The upstream (Scope 3) factor is 17.3 kg CO₂-e/GJ (0.6678 kg CO₂-e/litre), reported separately.

Calculation Example

If a light commercial ute used 2,500 litres of diesel during the year:

Working	Result
2,500 L × 2.7178 kg CO₂-e/L = 6,794.5 kg CO₂-e	6.79 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

For most Australian businesses with vehicles, diesel is the single largest Scope 1 line item. Every ute, van and light truck in the fleet adds up litre by litre, and the arithmetic is mercifully simple once you know the factor.

This entry covers diesel used for transport in cars and light commercial vehicles under the NGA Factors 2025, for the 2025–26 reporting year. If you are burning diesel in generators or fixed plant instead, use the slightly lower stationary factor — or let a Scope 1 and 2 calculator apply the right one automatically.

Quick Verdict

Diesel used in cars and light commercial vehicles in Australia emits 2.7178 kg CO₂-e per litre, reported under Scope 1. The factor comes from Table 9 of the NGA Factors 2025: energy content of 38.6 GJ/kL multiplied by the combined emission factor of 70.41 kg CO₂-e/GJ. It applies to any organisation that owns or controls diesel vehicles, from a single ute to a national fleet. Heavy-duty vehicles use marginally different per-GJ factors depending on engine standard (70.37–70.5 kg CO₂-e/GJ). Upstream fuel-supply emissions add a further 0.6678 kg CO₂-e per litre under Scope 3.

How to Calculate Transport Diesel Emissions

Emissions (kg CO₂-e) = Litres of diesel × 2.7178

Or in NGA energy terms: E (t CO₂-e) = kL × 38.6 GJ/kL × 70.41 kg CO₂-e/GJ ÷ 1,000.

Worked Example 1: Passenger Diesel Car

A diesel SUV travels 15,000 km at an assumed 7 L/100 km, consuming 1,050 litres.

1,050 L × 2.7178 = 2,853.7 kg CO₂-e

2.85 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 2: Light Commercial Ute

A tradesperson’s ute uses an assumed 2,500 litres of diesel over the year.

2,500 L × 2.7178 = 6,794.5 kg CO₂-e

6.79 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 3: Small Fleet

A services business runs 12 utes at roughly 2,500 litres each — 30,000 litres in total.

30,000 L × 2.7178 = 81,534 kg CO₂-e

81.53 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

How Transport Diesel 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
LPG (transport)	1.5982
Biodiesel	0.0865
Renewable diesel	0.0197
Ethanol	0.0094

All values from NGA Factors 2025, Table 9.

NGER and AASB S2 Reporting

Fleet diesel is Scope 1 fuel combustion under the NGER scheme and must be reported with transport factors, not stationary ones. Under AASB S2, it forms part of your mandatory Scope 1 disclosure, with contractor and grey-fleet fuel captured in Scope 3 where material — a NGER reporting tool keeps the classification consistent across both regimes.

Diesel (Stationary)

2.7097 kg CO₂-e/litre

Petrol

2.3126 kg CO₂-e/litre

Biodiesel

0.0865 kg CO₂-e/litre

Renewable Diesel

0.0197 kg CO₂-e/litre

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the emission factor for transport diesel in Australia?

Diesel used in cars and light commercial vehicles emits 2.7178 kg CO₂-e per litre under the NGA Factors 2025. It is derived from diesel's energy content of 38.6 GJ/kL and the combined Scope 1 factor of 70.41 kg CO₂-e/GJ in Table 9.

Which scope do fleet diesel emissions fall under?

Fuel burned in vehicles your organisation owns or leases under operational control is Scope 1. Fuel burned by contractors, couriers or grey-fleet vehicles you do not control is Scope 3, typically under upstream transportation or employee commuting categories.

Is the factor different for trucks and heavy vehicles?

Slightly. The NGA Factors 2025 give heavy-duty diesel vehicles 70.37 kg CO₂-e/GJ for Euro IV or later engines, 70.4 for Euro III and 70.5 for Euro I. The differences come from methane and nitrous oxide behaviour, and the per-litre results differ from the light-vehicle value of 2.7178 kg/L by well under 1%.

How do I measure diesel consumption across a vehicle fleet?

Fuel card data is the gold standard because it records litres per vehicle per transaction. Bulk fuel deliveries plus dispensing logs work for depot-fuelled fleets. Avoid estimating from kilometres unless you have no fuel data — actual litres purchased is what NGER expects.

Does 2.7178 kg/L include upstream (well-to-tank) emissions?

No, it covers combustion only. The NGA Factors publish a separate upstream factor of 17.3 kg CO₂-e/GJ — about 0.6678 kg CO₂-e per litre — covering extraction, refining and distribution. Report that portion under Scope 3.

How does diesel compare with petrol per litre?

Diesel is higher per litre: 2.7178 kg CO₂-e versus 2.3126 kg CO₂-e for petrol. However, diesel engines are typically more fuel-efficient per kilometre, so per-kilometre emissions can be comparable or lower depending on the vehicle.

What about biodiesel or renewable diesel blends?

The biogenic share of a blend takes the biofuel factor. Pure biodiesel is 0.0865 kg CO₂-e/L and renewable diesel is 0.0197 kg CO₂-e/L for transport, because their CO₂ is biogenic and only methane and nitrous oxide count. For a B20 blend, apply the diesel factor to 80% of litres and the biodiesel factor to 20%.

How is transport diesel treated under NGER and AASB S2?

Under NGER, transport diesel is Scope 1 fuel combustion, reported with the transport emission factors. Under AASB S2, fleet fuel sits within your mandatory Scope 1 disclosure, and material contractor transport belongs in Scope 3. Both should use the NGA Factors 2025 values.

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.

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