Your First Emission Entry
This walkthrough takes you from a blank account to your first logged emission in under five minutes.
Step 1 — Choose your entry method
Navigate to Carbon Tracking → New Emission Entry.
You will see three entry methods:
| Method | Best for |
|---|---|
| Quick Entry | A single activity (e.g. one month of electricity) |
| Batch Import | Multiple activities via CSV upload |
| Calculator | Travel, fleet, energy — guided input with automatic EF lookup |
For your first entry, choose Quick Entry.
Step 2 — Choose the activity category
Select a Category from the dropdown. Categories map directly to Scope boundaries:
- Scope 1: Natural gas, diesel, petrol, refrigerant leakage
- Scope 2: Purchased electricity, district heating / cooling
- Scope 3: Business travel (flights/rail), supply chain, waste
Then pick the Subcategory (e.g., Grid Electricity — UK National Grid).
Step 3 — Enter activity data
Fill in the required fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Quantity | The measured amount (kWh, litres, km, etc.) |
| Unit | Pre-populated from subcategory; change if needed |
| Period start / end | The date range the activity covers |
| Reference | Optional invoice or meter-read reference for audit trail |
| Location | Site or cost centre (if multi-site tracking is enabled) |
Step 4 — Review the calculated emission
AlchemOS Positive multiplies your activity by the appropriate DEFRA / IPCC emission factor automatically. You will see:
- Emission factor used (with source and vintage year)
- Calculated tCO₂e
- Scope assignment
If the auto-selected factor is not right, click Change factor to pick an alternative from the library.
Step 5 — Save and confirm
Click Save Entry. You will be taken to a confirmation screen showing:
- Entry ID (for audit reference)
- Calculated tCO₂e
- Link back to the dashboard to see the updated KPIs
Common issues
"No emission factor found" The subcategory and unit combination does not have a matching factor in the library. Try a different subcategory, or contact support to request a custom factor.
"Period overlaps an existing entry" You already have an entry for the same subcategory and date range. Open the existing entry and edit it rather than creating a duplicate.