Convert kg CO₂e/tonne to kg CO₂e/short ton
| kg CO₂e/t | kg CO₂e/short ton |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | 0.4536 |
| 1 | 0.9072 |
| 1.5 | 1.361 |
| 2 | 1.814 |
| 3 | 2.722 |
| 5 | 4.536 |
| 10 | 9.072 |
| 20 | 18.14 |
| 50 | 45.36 |
| 100 | 90.72 |
Each row uses the same factor as the converter above: 1 kg CO₂e/t = 0.9072 kg CO₂e/short ton.
Material carbon intensities — the embodied CO₂e of steel, cement, aluminium and the like — are usually quoted per tonne, but US product declarations often use the short ton. Because a short ton is lighter (907 kg vs 1,000 kg), a smaller unit of product carries proportionally less embodied carbon: per short ton = per tonne × 0.90718. Multiply a per-tonne intensity by 0.90718 to get the per-short-ton figure. It works the same for CO₂ and CO₂e.
To convert kg CO₂e/tonne to kg CO₂e/short ton, multiply by 0.90718. So steel at 1,850 kg CO₂e/tonne is 1,850 × 0.90718 ≈ 1,678 kg CO₂e/short ton. To reverse it, multiply by 1.10231.
kg CO₂e/short ton = kg CO₂e/tonne × 0.90718. Reverse: kg CO₂e/tonne = kg CO₂e/short ton × 1.10231. The 0.90718 is the mass of a short ton (907.18474 kg) as a fraction of a metric tonne. The intensity per unit falls because each short ton is less material — the material’s carbon per kilogram is unchanged.
| Intensity | × 0.90718 | Per short ton |
|---|---|---|
| 900 kg CO₂e/t (cement) | × 0.90718 | 816 kg CO₂e/short ton |
| 1,850 kg CO₂e/t (steel) | × 0.90718 | 1,678 kg CO₂e/short ton |
| 16,000 kg CO₂e/t (aluminium) | × 0.90718 | 14,515 kg CO₂e/short ton |
| 100 kg CO₂e/t | × 0.90718 | 90.7 kg CO₂e/short ton |
Why the intensity changes with the unit
The material itself has a fixed carbon content per kilogram. What changes is the size of the “per” unit. A tonne of steel and a short ton of steel are the same steel, but a short ton is 9.3% less of it, so it carries 9.3% less embodied carbon. This is the mirror of the tonnes-to-short-tons converter: that one scales an absolute mass of CO₂e (×1.10231), while this one scales an intensity per unit of product (×0.90718) — the reciprocal.
Embodied carbon of common materials, both ways
Typical cradle-to-gate embodied carbon intensities, shown per tonne and per short ton. Real values vary widely with production route and region — primary (virgin) steel and aluminium are far higher than recycled — so treat these as indicative:
| Material (cradle-to-gate) | kg CO₂e/tonne | kg CO₂e/short ton |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete (ready-mix) | ~130 | ~118 |
| Portland cement | ~900 | ~816 |
| Steel (recycled, EAF) | ~700 | ~635 |
| Steel (primary, BF-BOF) | ~1,850 | ~1,678 |
| Aluminium (primary) | ~16,000 | ~14,515 |
Environmental Product Declarations (EN 15804) state a material’s embodied carbon per declared unit — often a tonne, but US declarations may use a short ton or pounds. Comparing a per-tonne figure with a per-short-ton one without converting understates or overstates by about 10%. Always align the mass unit (and the calorific or production basis) before ranking materials.
kg CO₂e/tonne to kg CO₂e/short ton conversion table
The table reads both ways — per tonne to per short ton on the left (× 0.90718), per short ton back to per tonne on the right (× 1.10231).
| kg CO₂e/t | → per short ton (× 0.90718) | kg CO₂e/short ton | → per tonne (× 1.10231) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 90.7 | 100 | 110.2 |
| 500 | 453.6 | 500 | 551.2 |
| 900 | 816.5 | 900 | 992.1 |
| 1,850 | 1,678 | 1,850 | 2,039 |
| 16,000 | 14,515 | 16,000 | 17,637 |
Where this conversion is used
- Comparing material footprints across regions. European and international EPDs and datasets use kg CO₂e per tonne; US ones may use short tons, so intensities must be aligned before materials are ranked or substituted.
- Embodied-carbon estimating. The intensity multiplies the mass of material used. The steel & aluminium and concrete & cement calculators do the full estimate; this converter just aligns the factor’s mass unit.
- Reading product declarations. An EPD’s declared unit sets the denominator; converting to a common tonne basis is often the first step in using its global warming potential figure.
- Molecule-agnostic. Because it is a per-mass intensity, the factor is identical for CO₂, CO₂e or any single gas — CO₂e just bundles all gases into a CO₂-equivalent first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Multiply the per-tonne intensity by 0.90718. For example, steel at 1,850 kg CO₂e/tonne is 1,850 × 0.90718 ≈ 1,678 kg CO₂e/short ton. To reverse it, multiply by 1.10231. The factor is exact and applies to CO₂ and CO₂e alike.
Because a short ton is less material — 907 kg versus a tonne’s 1,000 kg. The material’s carbon per kilogram is unchanged; there is just 9.3% less of it in a short ton, so the embodied carbon per unit is 9.3% lower.
That one converts an absolute mass of CO₂e (×1.10231). This one converts an intensity — CO₂e per unit of product — which scales the opposite way (×0.90718), because the unit is in the denominator. They are reciprocals.
Indicatively, primary steel is around 1,678 kg CO₂e/short ton (from ~1,850 per tonne) and Portland cement around 816 (from ~900). Recycled steel is much lower, near 635. Values vary widely with production route and region, so check the source’s basis.
It depends on the declared unit. European and international EN 15804 EPDs generally use metric tonnes (or m³); US product declarations may use short tons or pounds. Always convert to a common unit before comparing embodied-carbon figures across sources.
No. Converting a per-mass intensity between units doesn’t depend on which gas it is, so the factor is identical for CO₂, CO₂e or any single greenhouse gas. CO₂e just means the gases have already been combined into a CO₂-equivalent using their global warming potentials.