The Ministry of Climate and Energy has updated the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission calculation tool developed under the LIFE Waste to Resources in Latvia IP. The tool provides an automated and user-friendly approach that enables efficient calculation of GHG emissions generated by waste management companies from activities such as waste transportation, processing, recovery, and disposal.
The methodology of the tool is based on the guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other internationally recognized sources. It ensures high calculation accuracy and compliance with national inventory data compilation requirements, allowing the results to be used both for policy planning and national-level reporting.
The GHG emission calculation tool offers a comprehensive overview of emission-generating activities within the waste sector while emphasizing aspects related to the circular economy and energy efficiency. Emissions are expressed in CO₂ equivalents and include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O), thus providing a complete assessment of the emission impact. Such an assessment helps regional waste management centers and companies plan measures to reduce GHG emissions and improve resource use efficiency.
To ensure the tool remains up to date and suitable for annual calculations, its baseline data are regularly updated — including information on the amount of waste disposed of, methane emissions from different material streams (such as food, garden and park waste, paper and cardboard, wood, textiles, sludge, etc.), as well as emission factors for historically unmanaged waste.
To calculate GHG emissions for 2024, use the updated version of the tool – available here.
To calculate emissions for 2023, use the previous version of the tool – available here.
Users of the tool have access to a User Manual (Latvian), training video and presentation (English), which provide step-by-step guidance on how to perform the calculations.
*Photo: Ltd. ZAAO.
The GHG emission calculation tool has been developed within the LIFE Integrated Project “Waste To Resources Latvia - boosting regional sustainability and circularity” (LIFE Waste To Resources IP, LIFE20 IPE/LV/000014) with the financial support of the LIFE Programme of the European Union and Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia.
The information reflects only the LIFE Waste To Resources IP beneficiaries’ view and the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
