Accounting carbon emissions from electricity generation: A review and comparison of emission factor-based methods

Accurate estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is essential to meet carbon neutrality targets, particularly through the calculation of direct CO2 emissions from electricity generation. This work reviews and compares emission factor-based methods for accounting direct carbon emissions from electricity generation. The emission factor approach is commonly worldwide used. Empirical comparisons are based on emission factors computed using data from the Italian electricity market. The analyses reveal significant differences in the CO2 estimates according to different methods. This, in turn, highlights the need to select an appropriate method for reliable emissions, which could support effective regulatory compliance and informed policy-making. As concerns, in particular, the Italian zonal CO2 emissions analysis underscores the importance of using country-specific emission factors.