# Our buyer says our carbon figure is higher than the database value. What do we say?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/buyer-asks-why-our-figure-differs-from-database

Database values are averages for a region or technology, often older and with a different boundary. Your figure comes from your own bills. Show the boundary, factors and period behind yours, and point out which differences are real: fuel type, grid share, yield. A measured figure usually beats an average.

## Check first

- Same unit and boundary?
- Same grid factor and year?
- Materials included in one but not the other?

## Then explain

If yours is higher for a real reason, such as diesel generator use, say what you plan to do about it. If it is a boundary mismatch, line them up.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads bills, fuel invoices and production records into dated, fingerprinted records, so the figure you send a buyer can be traced to its documents.

- [Which factor database for India](https://senseible.earth/answers/which-emission-factor-database-for-india)
- [Primary data share](https://senseible.earth/answers/primary-data-share-meaning)

Sources: [GHG Protocol Product Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/standards), [GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-value-chain-scope-3-standard), [CEA CO2 Baseline Database, version 21.0](https://cea.nic.in/cdm-co2-baseline-database/?lang=en)

Last reviewed 2026-10-22.