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Liquid Fuels Scope 1 (Direct — fuel combustion, CH₄ and N₂O only)

Ethanol (Fuel Ethanol, E100)

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

Fuel ethanol emits just 0.0094 kg CO₂-e per litre in vehicles (NGA Factors 2025) — over 99% below petrol. Worked examples, calculator and NGER guidance.

Emission Factor Value

0.0094 kg CO₂-e/litre

Try it with your own numbers

Estimated emissions

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Ethanol combusted in vehicles you own or control is Scope 1. Calculated as litres × 0.0094 kg CO₂-e/L (NGA Factors 2025, Table 9, cars and light commercial vehicles). In blends like E10, only the ethanol share takes this factor.

Official Source & Citation

This emission factor is sourced from the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025 , Table 9 — Transport fuels (cars and light commercial vehicles); Table 8 for stationary use, 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 23.4 GJ/kL × combined Scope 1 emission factor 0.4 kg CO₂-e/GJ (CO₂ zero-rated as biogenic; 0.2 CH₄ + 0.2 N₂O) = 9.36 kg CO₂-e/kL, i.e. 0.0094 kg CO₂-e per litre. For stationary use, Table 8 gives 0.28 kg CO₂-e/GJ (6.552 kg CO₂-e/kL, or 0.0066 kg/L). No upstream Scope 3 factor is published for fuel ethanol in the NGA Factors 2025.

Calculation Example

If your fleet consumed 50,000 litres of fuel ethanol during the year:

Working Result
50,000 L × 0.0094 kg CO₂-e/L = 470 kg CO₂-e 0.47 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Fuel ethanol is the biofuel most Australians have actually used — every E10 fill-up contains it. In carbon accounting terms it is nearly invisible: the CO₂ from burning it is biogenic and zero-rated, leaving a Scope 1 factor more than 99% below petrol.

The values below come from the NGA Factors 2025 and apply to the 2025–26 reporting year. For fleets running blends, an activity-based emissions calculator handles the volume splits automatically.

Quick Verdict

Fuel ethanol used in cars and light commercial vehicles emits 0.0094 kg CO₂-e per litre, reported under Scope 1. The factor comes from Table 9 of the NGA Factors 2025: energy content 23.4 GJ/kL × 0.4 kg CO₂-e/GJ, where the biogenic CO₂ is zero-rated and only CH₄ and N₂O (0.2 kg CO₂-e/GJ each) count. Petrol, by comparison, emits 2.3126 kg CO₂-e/L — so in an E10 blend the petrol share drives more than 99.9% of the emissions. Stationary ethanol use takes the Table 8 factor of 0.28 kg CO₂-e/GJ (about 0.0066 kg/L).

How to Calculate Ethanol Emissions

Emissions (kg CO₂-e) = Litres of ethanol × 0.0094 (transport use)

Or in NGA energy terms: E (t CO₂-e) = kL × 23.4 GJ/kL × 0.4 kg CO₂-e/GJ ÷ 1,000.

Worked Example 1: Fleet Trial

A fleet consumes 10,000 litres of ethanol as the E85 share of a flex-fuel trial.

10,000 L × 0.0094 = 94 kg CO₂-e

0.09 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 2: E10 Programme — Ethanol Share

Across a year of E10 purchases, a fleet’s cumulative ethanol share is 50,000 litres.

50,000 L × 0.0094 = 470 kg CO₂-e

0.47 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

The remaining petrol share is calculated separately at 2.3126 kg CO₂-e/L — for 450,000 litres of petrol that is 1,040,670 kg, or 1,040.67 tonnes CO₂-e, showing how thoroughly the petrol component dominates a blend.

Worked Example 3: Large Fleet

A large operator’s vehicles consume 200,000 litres of fuel ethanol.

200,000 L × 0.0094 = 1,880 kg CO₂-e

1.88 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)

How Ethanol Compares to Other Transport Fuels

Fuel (cars & LCVs)Scope 1 factor (kg CO₂-e/L)
Diesel (transport)2.7178
Petrol (transport)2.3126
LPG (transport)1.5982
Biodiesel (B100)0.0865
Renewable diesel0.0197
Ethanol0.0094

All values from NGA Factors 2025, Table 9.

NGER and AASB S2 Reporting

Ethanol is reportable energy use under the NGER scheme: biogenic CO₂ is reported separately for information, while the CH₄ and N₂O count as Scope 1. Under AASB S2, the Scope 1 figure appears in your climate statement — a Scope 1 and 2 calculator keeps blend ratios and the petrol/ethanol split consistent through the year.

Related Emission Factors

Petrol

2.3126 kg CO₂-e/litre

Biodiesel

0.0865 kg CO₂-e/litre

Renewable Diesel

0.0197 kg CO₂-e/litre

Diesel (Transport)

2.7178 kg CO₂-e/litre

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the emission factor for fuel ethanol in Australia?
Ethanol used as fuel in cars and light commercial vehicles emits 0.0094 kg CO₂-e per litre under the NGA Factors 2025 — derived from an energy content of 23.4 GJ/kL and a combined factor of 0.4 kg CO₂-e/GJ in Table 9. That is more than 99% below petrol at 2.3126 kg CO₂-e/L.
Why is the ethanol factor so low?
Because the CO₂ released when ethanol burns is biogenic — the carbon was recently absorbed from the atmosphere by the sugarcane or grain feedstock — so it is zero-rated in the national accounts. Only the small methane and nitrous oxide components (0.2 kg CO₂-e/GJ each) count toward Scope 1.
How do I account for E10 or E85 blends?
Split by volume. For 100,000 litres of E10, the 10,000 litres of ethanol take the ethanol factor (94 kg CO₂-e) and the 90,000 litres of petrol take the petrol factor (90,000 × 2.3126 = 208,134 kg CO₂-e). The petrol component dominates the result.
Which scope does ethanol combustion fall under?
Ethanol burned in vehicles or equipment your organisation owns or controls is Scope 1 (direct emissions) — CH₄ and N₂O only, with the biogenic CO₂ reported separately for information. Upstream emissions from growing and distilling the feedstock would be Scope 3, with no NGA default published.
Is the factor different for stationary ethanol use?
Yes. Table 8 gives ethanol burned in stationary equipment a combined factor of 0.28 kg CO₂-e/GJ — 6.552 kg CO₂-e per kilolitre, or about 0.0066 kg per litre — slightly lower than the 0.4 kg CO₂-e/GJ engine value because combustion conditions differ.
Does ethanol's lower energy content matter for reporting?
Yes, for fuel volumes. At 23.4 GJ/kL, ethanol carries about 32% less energy per litre than petrol (34.2 GJ/kL), so vehicles consume more litres for the same distance. Emissions per litre remain as published — the energy penalty shows up in activity data, not the factor.
How do I convert litres of ethanol to gigajoules?
Fuel ethanol has an energy content of 23.4 GJ per kilolitre, so 1,000 litres equals 23.4 GJ. NGER reporting works in energy terms, and 23.4 GJ/kL × 0.4 kg CO₂-e/GJ gives 9.36 kg CO₂-e per kilolitre for transport use.
Do I report ethanol under NGER and AASB S2?
Yes. Ethanol consumption is reportable energy use under NGER, with biogenic CO₂ reported separately from the counted CH₄ and N₂O. Under AASB S2, the Scope 1 emissions flow into your climate statement, and blend strategies often feature in transition-plan disclosures.

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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