Understanding the Activity Type

An activity type refers to any activity or process that has an impact on the environment, such as emissions released during the consumption of fuel, industrial operations, transportation, and energy production. An activity type helps to identify the following aspects related to emissions tracking:

  • scope of the activity
  • determinant types associated with the activity
  • measure of the activity
  • emission type
Activity Type

Scope

Determinant Types

Measure Type

Emission Types
Stationary Combustion

1

Fuel Type

Quantity

CO2, CH4, N2O
Mobile Combusion 1

Fuel Type

Vehicle Type

Percent Laden

Quantity

Distance

CO2, CH4, N2O
Puchased Energy - Location 2

Energy Type

Grid Region

Quantity CO2, CH4, N2O
Puchased Energy - Market 2

Energy Type

Grid Region

Contractual Instrument Type

Quantity CO2e
Purchased Goods and Services 3 Spend Type Amount

Quantity

CO2, CH4
Water Withdrawal NA Water Source Type Quantity No emissions
Waste Generated in Operations 3

Waste Type

Waste Disposal Type

Hazardous

Quantity CO2, CH4, N2O

You use the Activity Types program (P20S01) to create and manage various activity types within your organization, by associating them to one of the following scopes based on the GHG Protocol.

  • Scope 1 - Direct Emission: GHG emissions from sources such as boilers and vehicles that are owned or controlled by an organization. The activities such as Stationary Combustion and Mobile Combustion come under this scope.
  • Scope 2 - Indirect Emission: GHG emissions resulting from the purchase of energy by the organization, such as electricity, heat, and cooling.
  • Scope 3 - Other Indirect Emission: GHG emissions from sources niether owned nor directly managed by the organization, but related to its activities across the value chain. Examples of this include purchased goods and services and waste treatment.

The system stores the Activity Type details in the Activity Type (F20S01), Activity Type – Determinant Type (F20S06), Activity Type - Measure Type (F20S03) and Activity Type - Emission Type (F20S04) tables.

In addition to the predefined activities under Scopes 1, 2, and 3, you can also create custom activities, such as emissions from specific industrial processes, fugitive emissions, and more. You can define your own activity types, set relevant determinants, and record transactions just as you would with standard activities.