Natural Gas (Pipeline Distributed)
Reviewed by Afonso Firmo, Co-Founder & Director · Updated 7 July 2026
Natural gas has a combined Scope 1 emission factor of 51.53 kg CO₂-e/GJ under NGA Factors 2025. How to calculate, worked examples and state Scope 3 factors.
Emission Factor Value
51.53 kg CO₂-e/GJ
Try it with your own numbers
Estimated emissions
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Combustion of pipeline natural gas is reported under Scope 1 at 51.53 kg CO₂-e/GJ (NGA Factors 2025, Table 5). Cubic metres are converted using an energy content of 0.0393 GJ/m³. Add your state's upstream Scope 3 factor separately.
Official Source & Citation
This emission factor is sourced from the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025 , Table 5 — Gaseous fuels including liquefied natural gas, 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
Combined Scope 1 factor of 51.53 kg CO₂-e/GJ = CO₂ 51.4 + CH₄ 0.1 + N₂O 0.03 (NGA Factors 2025, Table 5). Energy content 0.0393 GJ/m³. 1 GJ of natural gas combusted = 51.53 kg CO₂-e. A separate state-based upstream Scope 3 factor applies (Table 6), e.g. 13.1 kg CO₂-e/GJ for NSW & ACT metro and 4.0 for Victoria.
Calculation Example
If your office building consumed 850 GJ of natural gas during the year:
| Working | Result |
|---|---|
| 850 GJ × 51.53 kg CO₂-e/GJ = 43,800.5 kg CO₂-e | 43.80 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1) |
Natural gas is the single largest source of Scope 1 emissions for most Australian offices, hospitals, manufacturers and hospitality businesses — yet it is also one of the easiest to calculate, because your gas retailer already meters every megajoule. If you can read a gas bill, you can build a defensible Scope 1 emissions figure in minutes.
This entry covers the combined emission factor for pipeline-distributed natural gas from the NGA Factors 2025, how to run the calculation from bills or meters, and the state-based upstream Scope 3 factors that most first-time reporters miss.
Quick Verdict
Pipeline natural gas has a combined Scope 1 emission factor of 51.53 kg CO₂-e per gigajoule under the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025 (Table 5), comprising 51.4 kg of CO₂ plus small methane and nitrous oxide components. Any organisation that burns gas on site — for heating, hot water, cooking or process heat — reports these emissions under Scope 1. A separate upstream Scope 3 factor applies to the gas supply chain and varies by state, from 4.0 kg CO₂-e/GJ in Victoria to 13.1 in NSW and the ACT (metro). Together, these two numbers cover the full reporting treatment of natural gas for the 2025–26 year. For most gas-connected businesses, this is the first factor to get right in a Scope 1 and 2 inventory.
How to Calculate Natural Gas Emissions
Emissions (kg CO₂-e) = Energy consumed (GJ) × 51.53 kg CO₂-e/GJ
Gas bills show megajoules (divide by 1,000 for GJ); gas meters show cubic metres (multiply by 0.0393 GJ/m³ for GJ).
Worked Example 1: Office building
A commercial office consumed 850 GJ of natural gas for heating and hot water over the year.
850 GJ × 51.53 = 43,800.5 kg CO₂-e
43.80 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
Worked Example 2: Household-scale site from a gas bill
A small site’s gas bills total 45,000 MJ for the year (about the consumption of a typical Australian home — an illustrative assumption).
45,000 MJ ÷ 1,000 = 45 GJ
45 GJ × 51.53 = 2,318.85 kg CO₂-e
2.32 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
Worked Example 3: Manufacturer metering in cubic metres
A food manufacturer meters 120,000 m³ of gas through its boilers.
120,000 m³ × 0.0393 GJ/m³ = 4,716 GJ
4,716 GJ × 51.53 = 243,015.48 kg CO₂-e
243.02 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
How natural gas compares with other gaseous fuels
| Gaseous fuel | Combined Scope 1 factor (kg CO₂-e/GJ) |
|---|---|
| Hydrogen | 0.05 |
| Biomethane | 0.13 |
| Landfill biogas | 6.43 |
| Coke oven gas | 37.08 |
| Natural gas (pipeline) | 51.53 |
| Coal seam methane | 51.63 |
| Town gas | 60.27 |
Upstream Scope 3 factors by state (Table 6)
| State | Metro (kg CO₂-e/GJ) | Non-metro (kg CO₂-e/GJ) |
|---|---|---|
| NSW & ACT | 13.1 | 14.0 |
| Victoria | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Queensland | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| South Australia | 10.7 | 10.6 |
| Western Australia | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| Tasmania & NT | Confidential | Confidential |
These upstream factors cover extraction, processing and pipeline transmission of the gas you buy, and are reported separately as Scope 3 emissions.
NGER and AASB S2 Reporting
Natural gas combustion is reported as Scope 1 under the NGER scheme using these NGA factors, and the same figures flow through to the greenhouse gas inventory you disclose under AASB S2. Keep the Scope 1 combustion factor and the state-based Scope 3 upstream factor as separate line items — combining them is one of the most common errors in first-year climate disclosures.
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.