Financed emissions · Data quality
PCAF data quality scores for equipment loans
Each financed vehicle or machine carries a PCAF data quality score from 1, the highest, to 5, the lowest. The score reflects the activity data and asset identity behind its emissions.
Scores 1 to 5
| Option | Data used | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1a | Primary data on the vehicle’s actual fuel consumption | 1 |
| 1b | Known make and model, its efficiency and fuel type, and primary data on actual distance travelled | 1 |
| 2a | Known make and model, with distance travelled estimated from local statistics (state or province) | 2 |
| 2b | Known make and model, with distance travelled estimated from regional statistics (large country or subcontinent) | 3 |
| 3a | Vehicle type known but not make and model, with distance from local or regional statistics | 4 |
| 3b | Average vehicle: make, model and type unknown, with distance from local or regional statistics | 5 |
Score 1 is the highest data quality and score 5 the lowest. Each option assumes the outstanding amount and value at origination are known.
Mixed data
Where the data for one borrower comes from more than one option, the lower score applies. PCAF’s example: actual distance travelled combined with only the vehicle type, not the make and model, scores 4.
Supplier-specific emission factors are preferred where they exist.
Weighted score
PCAF asks institutions to publish a weighted data quality score by outstanding amount for each asset class, or explain why they cannot. A portfolio with large loans on poorly identified assets carries a lower weighted score than its asset count suggests.
Records that improve a score
| Record | Effect on the score |
|---|---|
| Asset type only, from the register description | Supports score 4 |
| Make and model identified from the register, serial number or invoice | Supports score 2 or 3, with distance or use from statistics |
| Odometer readings or telematics distance for the identified vehicle | Supports score 1 under option 1b |
| Fuel card, bulk tank or telematics fuel records for the machine | Supports score 1 under option 1a |
For equipment that records hours rather than distance, the activity approach is documented for each asset.
Asset identity in equipment registers
Equipment registers often describe assets only as equipment or machinery. Our asset schedule identifies each machine by make, model and serial number, and the data improvement plan lists the records that would raise its score in the next reporting period.
Sources
- PCAF: The Global GHG Accounting and Reporting Standard Part A: Financed Emissions, Third Edition
December 2025. Subchapter 5.6, Motor vehicle loans, Table 5.6-1 and chapter 6.1.
How to start
Equipment portfolio assessment
Tell us about the portfolio. Scope and fee are agreed before work begins.
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