Fugitive Emissions
Unintentional greenhouse gas releases from leaks, vents, and process equipment — including refrigerant leakage from HVAC systems and methane from wastewater treatment. Classified as Scope 1.
Fugitive emissions are unintentional releases of greenhouse gases from equipment, processes, or storage systems — not from deliberate combustion. Under GHG Protocol, fugitive emissions are Scope 1. They are frequently underreported because they require active tracking rather than simply reading fuel invoices.
Key fugitive emission sources in manufacturing
Refrigerant leakage — The most commonly overlooked fugitive source. HFC refrigerants used in industrial HVAC, process cooling, and chilled water systems have GWP values 1,000–14,000 times that of CO2. A 10 kg R-410A leak generates approximately 20.6 tCO2e — significant relative to its physical quantity.
Wastewater treatment — Biological treatment of effluent produces methane (CH4). If the ETP does not have methane capture, this is a reportable fugitive emission. Particularly relevant for textile dyeing and processing facilities with high-volume ETPs.
SF6 equipment — Electrical switchgear using sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is a fugitive source. SF6 GWP is 23,500. Relevant for facilities with large electrical substations.
Tracking approach
Refrigerant: track refrigerant top-ups from maintenance records. Mobile app-based maintenance logs are the most reliable data source. Annual maintenance contracts should specify refrigerant quantities added per service.
Wastewater: estimate using IPCC default emission factors for biological treatment volume or install monitoring.