# What is the carbon footprint of zinc oxide per tonne?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/zinc-oxide-carbon-footprint-per-tonne

Most zinc oxide in India is made by vaporising zinc metal or zinc ash in a furnace and oxidising the vapour. The fuel or electricity for the furnace is the plant's own share. The zinc metal bought in carries the larger upstream footprint from smelting.

## Split

- Scope 1: furnace fuel, often furnace oil or gas.
- Scope 2: electricity for fans and bagging.
- Scope 3: zinc metal or zinc ash bought in.

## CBAM

Zinc oxide is not among CBAM goods, but EU tyre and ceramic buyers may still ask for a figure for their own reporting.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads the plant's electricity bills (CEA grid factor 0.710 kg CO2 per kWh, CO2 Baseline Database version 21.0) and fuel invoices (IPCC 2006 defaults) into a fingerprinted Scope 1 and 2 record, the plant-level input to a per-unit figure. Bought-in materials go to the supplier evidence trail; product reports are self-declared drafts.

- [Zinc die casting](https://senseible.earth/answers/zinc-die-casting-carbon-footprint-per-kg)
- [Chittorgarh zinc and CBAM](https://senseible.earth/answers/chittorgarh-zinc-smelter-covered-by-cbam)

Sources: [GHG Protocol Corporate Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-standard), [IPCC 2006 Guidelines, Volume 2: Energy](https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/vol2.html)

Last reviewed 2026-10-22.