Scope 1 Basics Starter Kit

Inventory Scope 1 sources, collect the minimum viable data, and make it auditable

Carbon BasicsCoreStarter Kit45 min

What you'll accomplish

  • Identify which Scope 1 sources you likely have (fuel + refrigerants, sometimes fleet)
  • Create a Scope 1 source inventory that is easy to maintain
  • Collect minimum viable activity data with evidence
  • Avoid common boundary mistakes (what you control vs what tenants control)
  • Set up a monthly/quarterly closeout cadence

Who this is for

Sustainability teams

Building foundations

Facilities/engineering teams

Who manage equipment and service contractors

Finance/Ops teams

Who need audit-ready evidence

When to use this

Use this when:

  • •You're building your first Scope 1 dataset
  • •You need to find where fuel and refrigerant logs live
  • •You want to stop Scope 1 from being "guesswork"

Prerequisites

GHG Protocol in Plain English (Real Estate Edition)Utility Responsibility in Real Estate (for boundary clarity)

Quick start (45 minutes)

Pick one building and do this:

  • List on-site fuel sources (boilers, generators) and fuel type
  • Identify refrigerant service provider(s)
  • Create the Scope 1 Source Inventory (Template 1)
  • Request last 12 months of service logs and fuel records (Template 2)
  • Store evidence links in a single folder

What is Scope 1 in real estate (plain English)

Scope 1 = direct emissions from sources you control, commonly:

  • •Stationary combustion: Natural gas, propane, diesel for boilers/heaters/generators
  • •Refrigerants: Leaks/top-offs for HVAC equipment you control (service logs)
  • •Fleet fuel: Only if you operate vehicles directly (less common in some RE orgs)

Beginner rule: Don't fight about emission factors on day one. First, find and standardize the activity data + evidence.

Step-by-step

1

Build a source inventory (don't start with calculations)

You need a map of sources: asset/equipment, location, fuel/refrigerant type, data owner, evidence source.

2

Collect minimum viable activity data

Minimum viable per source — Fuel: quantity + unit + dates + evidence (invoice/log). Refrigerants: refrigerant type + quantity added + date + equipment ID + service log evidence.

3

Clarify control and boundaries

If tenants control equipment or fuel, be careful: tenant-owned rooftop units may not be yours, tenant-paid gas may not be yours. Document your approach in a short methods note.

4

Closeout cadence

Choose monthly or quarterly: pull fuel invoices/logs, pull refrigerant service logs, update table + evidence links, QA for missing periods.

Templates included

Template 1 — Scope 1 Source Inventory (copy/paste table)

| Site ID | Equipment/system | Source type (fuel/refrigerant/fleet) | Fuel type / Refrigerant type | Data owner | Data source (invoice/log/service provider) | Evidence location link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Template 2 — Data request email to facilities/service provider

Subject: Request: Scope 1 activity data (fuel + refrigerants) — [Site/Portfolio]

Hi [Name],
We're building an auditable Scope 1 dataset for [portfolio]. Please provide for the last [12 months]:

1) Fuel consumption records for on-site equipment (boilers/generators), including:
- fuel type
- quantity and unit
- dates/periods
- invoices or logs (evidence)

2) Refrigerant service records for HVAC equipment under our control, including:
- equipment identifier/location
- refrigerant type
- quantity added/top-offs or leaks
- service date
- service logs (evidence)

PDFs or exports are fine.
Thanks,
[Name]

Template 3 — Refrigerant Service Log (copy/paste)

| Date | Site | Equipment ID | Refrigerant type | Quantity added | Unit | Reason (leak/top-off/repair) | Service provider | Evidence link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---:|---|---|---|---|---|

Template 4 — Scope 1 QA Checklist (copy/paste)

Scope 1 QA Checklist

Fuel
- Fuel type recorded
- Quantity + unit recorded
- Dates/periods recorded
- Evidence link exists

Refrigerants
- Refrigerant type recorded
- Quantity added recorded (unit)
- Equipment ID present
- Evidence link exists

General
- No missing periods without exception notes
- Boundary assumptions documented for tenant-controlled equipment

Template 5 — Exceptions log

| Site | Source | Period missing | Reason | Owner | Next action | Due date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Common pitfalls

  • ✗Confusing Scope 1 vs Scope 2 (electricity is Scope 2)
  • ✗Missing refrigerant data because it lives with contractors
  • ✗Counting tenant-controlled equipment without documentation
  • ✗No evidence links (kills credibility)

How to prove impact

% of sites

With Scope 1 source inventory complete

% of sources

With evidence-backed activity data

Reduction in missing periods

Over time

Evidence and Confidence

Confidence:High(source inventory approach is stable)

Assumptions: You can access service contractors and fuel records.

Where this can fail: If refrigerant logs are unavailable or equipment ownership/control is unclear.

Change log

v1.0 (2026-01): Latest release