Technical Publications · Open Access
PAM U.S. Carbon Footprint Calculation Manual
A Practical Guide to Measure, Understand and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
An open-access technical manual for greenhouse gas accounting across U.S. organizations, construction activities, buildings, and infrastructure projects. It integrates Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 accounting with practical guidance on activity data, emission factors, data quality, and credible emissions reduction planning.
Overview
The PAM U.S. Carbon Footprint Calculation Manual is a practitioner-oriented technical reference designed to help readers quantify greenhouse gas emissions, interpret results, and identify technically credible reduction opportunities.
It emphasizes transparent system boundaries, traceable evidence, authoritative U.S. data sources, documented assumptions, and reproducible calculation practices. The manual is intended for engineers, project managers, sustainability professionals, organizations, educators, and decision-makers.
Topics covered
- Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 greenhouse gas accounting
- Emission factor selection and data quality
- Electricity, fuels, refrigerants, and freight
- Construction equipment, materials, and waste
- Embodied and operational carbon
- Life-cycle assessment, benchmarking, and reduction planning
Publication details
Recommended citation
Andrade Altamirano, P. A. (2026). PAM U.S. Carbon Footprint Calculation Manual (Version 1.0, 1st ed.). PAM Sustainable Projects LLC. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23219798
This publication is an open-access technical manual. It is not represented as a peer-reviewed journal article. The full document is hosted on Zenodo and can be downloaded through the DOI link above.