ESG and emissions reporting · Emission factors
NGA diesel emission factors for plant and vehicles
The National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2026 diesel factors for stationary plant and transport vehicles, converted to kilograms of CO₂-e per litre.
Diesel factors in the NGA Factors 2026
The Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors are published each year by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Diesel has an energy content of 38.6 GJ per kilolitre in both the stationary and transport tables.
| Use | CO₂ | CH₄ | N₂O | Scope 1 | Scope 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stationary energy (Table 8) | 69.9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 70.20 | 17.3 |
| Cars and light commercial vehicles (Table 9) | 69.9 | 0.01 | 0.5 | 70.41 | 17.3 |
| Heavy duty vehicles, Euro iv or higher (Table 9) | 69.9 | 0.07 | 0.4 | 70.37 | 17.3 |
| Heavy duty vehicles, Euro iii (Table 9) | 69.9 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 70.4 | 17.3 |
| Heavy duty vehicles, Euro i (Table 9) | 69.9 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 70.5 | 17.3 |
Vehicles manufactured before 2004 use CH₄ 0.1 and N₂O 0.4. The diesel factors are the same in the 2025 edition.
Factors per litre
Fuel records for plant and vehicles are usually kept in litres. Multiplying the energy content of 38.6 GJ per kilolitre by each factor gives the figure per litre.
| Use | Scope 1 | Scope 1 and Scope 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Stationary energy | 2.710 | 3.378 |
| Cars and light commercial vehicles | 2.718 | 3.386 |
| Heavy duty vehicles, Euro iv or higher | 2.716 | 3.384 |
Calculated as 38.6 × factor ÷ 1,000. The Scope 3 factor alone is 0.668 kg CO₂-e per litre.
Calculation
Emissions in tonnes of CO₂-e are the quantity of fuel in kilolitres, multiplied by the energy content in GJ per kilolitre and by the emission factor in kg CO₂-e per GJ, divided by 1,000.
An excavator using 10,000 litres of diesel in a year: 10 kL × 38.6 GJ/kL × 70.20 kg CO₂-e/GJ ÷ 1,000 = 27.1 t CO₂-e Scope 1.
Stationary or transport for plant
Section 2.41 of the NGER (Measurement) Determination defines transport energy purposes as transport by vehicles registered for road use, rail transport, waterborne transport and air transport. Other uses are stationary energy purposes.
The Clean Energy Regulator lists onsite mobile equipment that is not registered for road use, such as diesel dozers, forklifts and excavators, as stationary energy. A road-registered prime mover uses the transport factor. An excavator, dozer or forklift that is not registered for road use uses the stationary factor.
NGA Factors and NGER reporting
The NGA Factors workbook is not published for reporting under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme. It draws on the NGER (Measurement) Determination, and its methods apply generally to estimating greenhouse gas emissions inventories.
Factors in the evidence pack
Each machine’s emissions in your workbook carry the factor applied, its edition and its source.
Common questions
Questions and answers
- What is the diesel emission factor per litre in Australia?
- Under the NGA Factors 2026, stationary diesel is 2.710 kg CO₂-e per litre for Scope 1, and 3.378 kg CO₂-e per litre including Scope 3. Heavy duty vehicles, Euro iv or higher, are 2.716 kg CO₂-e per litre for Scope 1.
- Does an excavator use the transport or stationary diesel factor?
- An excavator that is not registered for road use uses the stationary factor. NGER section 2.41 defines transport energy purposes as road-registered vehicles, rail, waterborne and air transport, and other uses are stationary.
- Did the diesel factors change between 2025 and 2026?
- No. The diesel energy content and emission factors are the same in the NGA Factors 2025 and 2026.
Sources
- Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2026
DCCEEW, August 2026. Tables 8 and 9.
- National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (Measurement) Determination 2008
Section 2.41(2), stationary and transport energy purposes. Paragraph (c) was replaced with waterborne transport in 2023.
- Clean Energy Regulator: Estimating emissions and energy from electricity production and consumption guideline
July 2026, 2025-26 NGER reporting year. Table 2.
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