What is grid carbon intensity?

It is the average mass of CO2 emitted per unit of electricity delivered, expressed in grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour. It depends on the generation mix: hydro, nuclear, and wind are near zero, while coal is the highest. The cleaner the mix, the lower the number.

Where do these figures come from?

They are representative annual averages compiled from public IEA and Ember datasets. Grid intensity shifts year to year as countries add renewables or retire coal, so treat the values as a recent snapshot for estimation rather than a live measurement.

Why do some countries have intensity near zero?

Countries like Norway, Iceland, and France generate almost all their electricity from hydro, geothermal, or nuclear, which emit very little CO2 in operation. Their grid intensity can be below 50 gCO2/kWh, an order of magnitude below coal-dominated grids.

Should I use annual average or marginal intensity?

For most carbon accounting and product footprints, annual average intensity is the correct figure and is what this tool provides. Marginal intensity, the carbon of the next unit generated, matters for decisions about when to shift flexible load, but is a different metric.

How do I use this for a product footprint?

Multiply the energy your product consumes over its measurement period in kWh by the grid factor of the country where it runs. For cloud or manufacturing, use the grid of the data-centre or factory location. Sum across locations for a multi-region footprint.

Electricity Grid Carbon Intensity Tool

The carbon of a kilowatt-hour of electricity varies more than tenfold between countries, so the same workload can be near carbon-free in Norway and heavily polluting in Poland. This tool gives you the annual average grid carbon intensity for 40+ countries and converts any kWh figure into CO2e.

How it works

CO2e (grams) = kWh × grid intensity (gCO2/kWh)
CO2e (kg)    = CO2e grams ÷ 1000

The factor is the grid’s annual average, blending every generation source on that grid weighted by how much electricity each produced. Hydro, nuclear, and wind pull it down; coal and oil push it up.

Why grids differ so much

A grid’s intensity is set entirely by its generation mix. France and Norway sit near the bottom thanks to nuclear and hydro; coal-heavy grids such as Poland, India, and Australia sit near the top. This is why moving a compute workload or a factory between regions can change its footprint dramatically without changing anything about the work itself.

Notes

These are recent annual averages from public IEA and Ember data and will drift as grids decarbonise. For a product or organisational footprint, use the grid of the location where the electricity is actually consumed, and sum across regions for multi-site operations.