The IEA is disseminating a new free pilot database including life cycle emission factors corresponding to national electricity grids. The pilot database is evaluating and compiling reliable data to provide a globally harmonised database on an annual basis in the near future. The database is published in excel format and contains three main sheets with a set of life cycle emission factors corresponding to electricity production. The factors are described below:

Total upstream emission factors (in CO2eq per kWh) (Sum of upstream factors)

It corresponds to the total upstream emission intensity associated with national electricity production. The factors are calculated using the total life cycle footprint of the electricity/fuel generation technologies excluding direct emissions from fuel combustion at the point of production weighted by their respective shares in the generation mix.