Criterion D.2 - Data sources used

As mentioned in criterion A.10, the data used in the candidate tool may come from very different sources: databases specific to a sector of activity, studies relating to a particular element (product, equipment, technique…), expert opinions, etc. Not all of these data sources are of equivalent quality, and for each of them, it is necessary to verify transparency, reliability and currency.

The methodological points (reliability and currency) having been detailed in criterion A.10, only the transparency of these data sources will be analysed here. More specifically, it will be analysed to what extent the tool is transparent about activity data (value, unit, source) and about the emission factors used, by being clear about its label, its value, its version and its source database in the case of EFs derived from "conventional" databases.

In the case of consolidated EFs, it will also be expected that the candidate tool makes accessible all the technical values (primary data, assumptions, etc.) that were used in their construction.

Criterion

Mandatory	Criterion D.2 - Data sources used
Question	Are the sources and values of all emission factors and all technical values usable in the candidate tool clearly identified and accessible to users? Is it also possible to trace the version of the database and/or the value used?
Responses	Yes, it is possible to identify both the source and the version of an EF within the candidate tool Yes, it is possible to identify both the source and the version of an EF via an export of the candidate tool's data Yes, it is possible to identify both the source and the version of an EF through resources provided by the organisation behind the candidate tool No, it is not possible to identify the source and version of the EFs used by the candidate tool
Implementation guidance	Look in the user guide, the methodological guide and/or the manual to check whether the data sources are clearly identified Look in the candidate tool for a database listing the sources used for each value or factor added to the candidate tool