Templates and records · ISO 14064 · Clause 8.3

GHG inventory uncertainty assessment template

How far the footprint figure might stray from reality, why, and where improving the data is worth the effort.

In one sentence

The uncertainty assessment rates, by category or source, how far activity data and emission factors may deviate, quantitatively or, where that is not feasible, qualitatively and with reasons, because ISO 14064-1 requires the uncertainty of the quantification approaches to be assessed and the report must include the result (8.3 and 9.3.1).

Content reviewed on 17 October 2026

Where the standard requires it: ISO 14064 · Clause 8.3 Clauses are cited using the numbering of ISO 14064-1:2018, the current edition for organisation-level inventories. Verification is governed by ISO 14064-3:2019.
Type of information: Mandatory record Required assessment (8.3); its result forms part of the report (9.3.1)
Who fills it in: Footprint lead With technical support if statistical methods are used
When: In every inventory Before the report is issued and before verification
How long it is kept: Set by the organisation The standard requires procedures for retaining documents and records (8.2) but sets no period. Keep everything from the base year onwards, since a recalculation may mean going back to the original data.

What the standard requires

What ISO 14064 demands and what it leaves to your judgement

The standard asks you to assess the uncertainty associated with the quantification approaches, covering both the data and the models and factors. If a quantitative estimate is not possible or not worth the cost, a reasoned qualitative assessment is made instead.

Its practical value lies in prioritising: a small source with high uncertainty matters less than a large one with moderate uncertainty.

Read it in context: Quantification and emission factors, in the ISO 14064 Academy

Structure

Fields the template should include

Category or source assessed
Uncertainty of the activity data and its origin
Uncertainty of the emission factor
Method: quantitative or qualitative, and its rationale
Result by category and effect on the total
Actions to reduce it

Example

Example: assessment of the 2025 inventory (fictitious company)

Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.

Field	Content
Own fleet diesel	Measured via fuel card · low uncertainty · official factor · low
Electricity	Invoice · low · supplier factor · low
Refrigerant	Top-ups from maintenance reports · medium: not every report states the gas
Subcontracted transport	Route distances estimated and generic factor · high
Conclusion	80 % of emissions have low uncertainty; most of the total uncertainty comes from subcontracted transport
Action	Ask the three main hauliers for actual fuel use per job from 2026

At the audit

Mistakes auditors commonly flag

There is no uncertainty assessment, or it amounts to a single generic sentence.
A quantitative uncertainty is stated with no method behind it.
The assessment leads to no action to improve the data.

In Kimobox

How this record is kept in Kimobox

1Activity data shows whether it is measured or estimated, which makes the assessment easier.
2The calculation methodology is documented by source.
3Data improvement actions are assigned to an owner with a due date.

Frequently asked questions

What people ask us before getting started

Must uncertainty be calculated with statistical methods?

Only if it is feasible and worthwhile. The standard accepts a reasoned qualitative assessment where a quantitative one is not possible or would be disproportionate.

What is the point if it does not change the figure?

It tells readers of the report how far they can rely on it and helps decide where to improve the data. The verifier also uses it to target their sampling.

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Sources

Where each figure comes from

References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.