Data Model

Carbon Activity Model

Understanding the canonical data structure for submitting emission activities.

Overview

The Carbon Activity Model is the foundational data contract for all emissions in the ZeroCarbon platform. Every emission—whether from electricity, fuel, travel, or any other source—flows through this unified model.

Activity Types

The following activity types are supported:

  • electricity - Grid electricity consumption
  • fuel - Combustion of fuels (diesel, petrol, natural gas, etc.)
  • travel - Transportation and mobility
  • water - Water consumption and treatment
  • waste - Waste generation and disposal
  • spend - Spend-based calculations
  • refrigerants - Fugitive emissions
  • agriculture - Agricultural activities

Data Structure

carbon-activity.tstypescript
interface CarbonActivity {
  // Unique identifier (generated by system)
  activity_id?: string;
  
  // Organization identifier
  organization_id: string;
  
  // Type of activity (see list above)
  activity_type: string;
  
  // GHG Protocol scope (1, 2, or 3)
  scope: "1" | "2" | "3";
  
  // Optional category within scope
  category?: string;
  
  // Quantity consumed
  quantity: number;
  
  // Unit of measurement
  unit: string;
  
  // Time period
  period: {
    start: string; // ISO 8601
    end: string;   // ISO 8601
  };
  
  // Location information
  location: {
    country: string;     // ISO 3166-1 alpha-2
    state?: string;
    city?: string;
    grid_region?: string;
    facility_id?: string;
  };
  
  // Data source and quality
  source: {
    type: string;        // "manual", "api", "csv", "meter", etc.
    confidence: number;  // 0.0 to 1.0
    name?: string;
    reference?: string;
  };
  
  // Custom metadata
  metadata?: Record<string, any>;
  
  // Timestamps (managed by system)
  created_at?: string;
  updated_at?: string;
}

Examples by Activity Type

Electricity

electricity.jsonjson
{
  "activity_type": "electricity",
  "scope": "2",
  "quantity": 5000,
  "unit": "kWh",
  "period": {
    "start": "2026-02-01",
    "end": "2026-02-28"
  },
  "location": {
    "country": "IN",
    "state": "Maharashtra",
    "grid_region": "Western"
  },
  "source": {
    "type": "manual",
    "confidence": 1.0,
    "name": "MSEDCL Bill"
  }
}

Fuel Combustion

fuel.jsonjson
{
  "activity_type": "fuel",
  "scope": "1",
  "category": "stationary_combustion",
  "quantity": 500,
  "unit": "liters",
  "period": {
    "start": "2026-02-01",
    "end": "2026-02-28"
  },
  "location": {
    "country": "IN",
    "state": "Karnataka",
    "city": "Bangalore"
  },
  "source": {
    "type": "manual",
    "confidence": 0.95,
    "name": "Fuel Purchase Records"
  },
  "metadata": {
    "fuel_type": "diesel",
    "vehicle_type": "generator"
  }
}
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