Town Gas
Reviewed by Afonso Firmo, Co-Founder & Director · Updated 7 July 2026
Town gas has a combined Scope 1 emission factor of 60.27 kg CO₂-e/GJ under NGA Factors 2025. Worked examples, unit conversions and emissions calculator.
Emission Factor Value
60.27 kg CO₂-e/GJ
Try it with your own numbers
Estimated emissions
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Town gas combustion is reported under Scope 1 at 60.27 kg CO₂-e/GJ (NGA Factors 2025, Table 5). Cubic metres are converted at an energy content of 0.039 GJ/m³.
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 60.27 kg CO₂-e/GJ = CO₂ 60.2 + CH₄ 0.04 + N₂O 0.03 (NGA Factors 2025, Table 5). Energy content 0.039 GJ/m³. 1 GJ of town gas combusted = 60.27 kg CO₂-e — about 17% above pipeline natural gas (51.53).
Calculation Example
If your facility consumed 400 GJ of town gas during the year:
| Working | Result |
|---|---|
| 400 GJ × 60.27 kg CO₂-e/GJ = 24,108 kg CO₂-e | 24.11 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1) |
Town gas is a relic of pre-natural-gas Australia — a manufactured fuel once piped through every city — but the NGA Factors still carry a factor for it, and the handful of organisations receiving legacy manufactured gas supplies need it for their Scope 1 reporting. It is also a useful benchmark: town gas shows what a 17% penalty over natural gas looks like per gigajoule.
Here are the 2025 numbers, three worked examples, and how town gas stacks up against the fuels that replaced it.
Quick Verdict
Town gas has a combined Scope 1 emission factor of 60.27 kg CO₂-e per gigajoule under the NGA Factors 2025 (Table 5) — CO₂ 60.2 plus small CH₄ and N₂O components — at an energy content of 0.039 GJ/m³. That makes it the most emissions-intense of the reticulated gases, about 17% above pipeline natural gas, a consequence of the carbon monoxide and heavier components in manufactured gas. The factor applies to any organisation combusting town gas in equipment it operates, reported under Scope 1 for the 2025–26 year. If your site is still on a manufactured gas supply, converting to natural gas or biomethane is the single quickest cut available to that line of your Scope 1 and 2 inventory.
How to Calculate Town Gas Emissions
Emissions (kg CO₂-e) = Energy consumed (GJ) × 60.27 kg CO₂-e/GJ
Convert cubic metres at 0.039 GJ/m³ and megajoules at 1,000 MJ per GJ.
Worked Example 1: Commercial site
A commercial facility consumes 400 GJ of town gas for heating and processes.
400 GJ × 60.27 = 24,108 kg CO₂-e
24.11 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
Worked Example 2: Small business billed in megajoules
A small business’s gas bills total 50,000 MJ for the year.
50,000 MJ ÷ 1,000 = 50 GJ
50 GJ × 60.27 = 3,013.5 kg CO₂-e
3.01 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
Worked Example 3: Reticulated supply metered in cubic metres
A site meters 10,000 m³ of town gas.
10,000 m³ × 0.039 GJ/m³ = 390 GJ
390 GJ × 60.27 = 23,505.3 kg CO₂-e
23.51 tonnes CO₂-e (Scope 1)
How town gas compares with other gaseous fuels
| Gaseous fuel | Combined Scope 1 factor (kg CO₂-e/GJ) |
|---|---|
| Biomethane | 0.13 |
| Coke oven gas | 37.08 |
| Natural gas (pipeline) | 51.53 |
| Coal seam methane | 51.63 |
| Ethane | 56.56 |
| Town gas | 60.27 |
| Blast furnace gas | 234.05 |
NGER and AASB S2 Reporting
Town gas combustion is reported as Scope 1 under the NGER scheme using this factor, and flows into the Scope 1 inventory you disclose under AASB S2. If your organisation transitions a legacy town gas supply to natural gas or biomethane mid-year, apply each fuel’s factor to its metered share of consumption rather than averaging.
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.