DEFRA Emission Factors 2025 & 2026: UK & Australia

Australia and the UK have now released their updated greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factors for 2025. The DEFRA emission factors 2025 updates directly influence how organisations calculate their carbon footprint across Scope 1, 2, and 3. For any business aiming to stay compliant, accurate, and aligned with net-zero expectations, understanding the new data is essential.

eco-shaper now includes both datasets, ensuring your reporting is always based on the latest national factors, no manual updates required.

Australia’s 2025 emission factors: A year marked by energy transition

Australia’s update reflects shifts in fuel composition, electricity generation, and new low-carbon technologies. What makes 2025 stand out is the accelerated move away from coal and the introduction of formal hydrogen emission factors.

1. Electricity grid updates (Scope 2 and 3)

   Electricity emission factors have been revised across all states and territories, with most regions seeing 2–3% reductions in grid carbon intensity.

   Recent Trends (2024–25 → 2025–26 projections):

   • New South Wales: 0.66 → ↓ ~0.02
   • Victoria: 0.77 → ↓ ~0.02
   • Queensland: 0.71 → ↓ ~0.02
   • South Australia: 0.23 → slight decrease
   • Western Australia (SWIS): 0.51 → stable/slight decrease
   • Tasmania: 0.15 → stable
   • Northern Territory: 0.54 → ↓ ~0.03
   • ACT: updated residual mix values

   These changes meaningfully affect Scope 2 and 3 reporting for companies operating across different regions. Emission factors vary significantly by region — explore eco-shaper’s regional emissions data tool.

2. New hydrogen emission factors (Scope 1)

   For the first time, Australia has added dedicated combustion emission factors for hydrogen. This supports national hydrogen strategies and ensures accurate reporting for organisations beginning to adopt low-emission fuels. Pure green hydrogen delivers near-zero Scope 1 emissions, making this a significant addition for future-focused reporting.

UK DEFRA emission factors 2025: One of the strongest decarbonisation shifts to date

The UK’s 2025 DEFRA conversion factors show some of the sharpest year-on-year improvements, driven by rapid decarbonisation in energy, transport, waste, and bioenergy.

What makes the 2025 UK edition notable

The new factors show major reductions across high-impact categories, typically >5% for Scope 1/2 and >10% for Scope 3, marking a clear acceleration in the UK’s progress towards net zero.

Key updates

1. Electricity grid carbon intensity

The Scope 2 electricity factor fell 14.5% from 2024, down to around 0.128 kg CO₂e/kWh, driven by strong renewable generation and reduced fossil fuel use.

2. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)

BEV emission factors dropped 16%, reflecting cleaner electricity and improved vehicle efficiency, helping lower Scope 3 transport emissions.

3. Aviation sector overhaul

Aviation factors were completely revised, with reductions of up to 41% for categories such as short-haul flights. These changes incorporate updated aircraft efficiency data and new international benchmarks.

4. Waste-to-energy improvements

Waste-to-energy emissions decreased 27%, showing gains in biogas recovery and incineration efficiency.

5. Bioenergy supply chain updates

Well-to-Tank (WTT) factors for biofuels and biogas dropped 10–20%, reflecting improved lifecycle assessments and more sustainable sourcing.

Across core sectors, the UK’s 2025 dataset indicates 5–15% reductions compared to 2024.

DEFRA emission factors 2025 & 2026

Why this matters for your reporting

These updates directly influence:

• Scope 1 fuel and combustion reporting
• Scope 2 electricity calculations
• Scope 3 transport, waste, and supplier emissions
• Year-on-year carbon performance comparisons
• Compliance with NGER, DEFRA, CSRD, CDP, and voluntary frameworks

Using outdated factors risks inaccuracies and misalignment with regulatory expectations.

How eco-shaper helps

eco-shaper automatically updates region-level emission factors every year in line with national datasets and scientific protocols. Your reporting stays accurate, defensible, and fully aligned with new factors, including Australia’s hydrogen data and the UK’s major 2025 reductions.

Whether your organisation operates in the UK, Australia, or works with suppliers in either region, eco-shaper ensures your emissions reporting reflects the latest regulatory requirements.