Getting Started with Intensity Metrics
Track how efficiently your business reduces emissions by measuring tCO₂e relative to your operational activity — such as per shipment, per tonne-kilometre, or per unit sold
Overview
Intensity Metrics is a new analysis capability in Cozero that lets you measure how efficiently your business is reducing emissions - not just in absolute terms, but relative to your actual business activity. Instead of only seeing total tCO₂e, you can now track metrics like tCO₂e per shipment, tCO₂e per tonne-kilometre, or kWh per tCO₂e - directly inside the platform.The feature was built because absolute emissions data alone doesn't answer "Are we getting more efficient?" - especially when business volumes are growing. With Intensity Metrics, you can see whether your carbon efficiency is improving even as your operations scale, and meet CSRD intensity reporting requirements without leaving Cozero to work in Excel.
Who is this for?
Intensity Metrics is available to all Cozero customers, with a focus on CCF (Corporate Carbon Footprint) customers - particularly those in logistics, industrial, and retail segments where operational volume metrics are business-critical.How to access it
Intensity Metrics is accessible in two places:Results view:
Navigate to Overview → Intensity Metrics in the left sidebar.
Admin configuration:
Navigate to Organisation Settings → Custom Input Settings to define and manage your custom operational inputs.
Key indicators that the feature is active:
- The Intensity Metrics page appears under the Overview section
- Custom Input Settings tab is visible in Organisation Settings (Admin/Manager roles only)
Video walkthrough
Step-by-step guide
Step 1 — Admin creates custom inputs in Organisation Settings
1. Navigate to Organisation Settings → Custom Input Settings.
2. Click "Create new": define name (e.g. "Number of Shipments"), unit (e.g. "unit", "shipments" or similar), and the subcategories where the field should appear on log entries.
3. Save the input. It will now appear as an optional field on all log entries in the linked subcategories.
> Pre-built inputs: Spend (€) and Energy consumption (kWh) are available by default - no configuration needed, as these values are already stored on existing log entries.
> Access control: Only Admin and Manager roles can create, edit, or archive custom inputs. A custom input cannot be deleted once it has been used in at least one log entry.
Step 2 — Users log custom input values alongside activity data
Single Log creation:
1. Open/Create a log entry in a subcategory linked to a custom input.
2. Fill in the optional intensity metric field (e.g. "500" for Number of Shipments). The field can be left empty - it will not block saving the log entry.
Bulk upload:
1. Download a fresh CCF bulk upload template from the platform. Intensity metric columns are dynamically added based on your organisation's configured custom inputs.
2. Populate the new columns in the template.
3. Upload as usual.
Step 3 — View and analyse results on the Intensity Metrics page
1. Navigate to Overview → Intensity Metrics.
2. Select a custom input from the dropdown to load its intensity chart - either as a numerator or denominator. You can flexibly assign the selected input as numerator or denominator on the results screen: e.g. show tCO₂e per shipment or shipments per tCO₂e.
3. Apply filters and groupings as needed: BU, location, supplier, territory, tags, etc.
4. Switch time aggregation: monthly / quarterly / yearly.
5. Optionally toggle the secondary y-axis to compare absolute emissions alongside intensity values in a combined bar-line chart.
6. Check the coverage indicator to understand what share of log entries carry a value for the selected input - important for assessing data quality before drawing conclusions.
> All settings (date range, selected metric, filters, group-by, and time interval) are automatically saved per user across sessions.
Understanding the coverage indicator
The coverage indicator shows the percentage of log entries in your selected scope that have a value recorded for the chosen custom input. This is a data quality signal, not an error.For example, if you have 1,000 transport log entries but only 600 include a value for "Number of Shipments", the coverage indicator will show 60%. A lower coverage rate means the intensity metric chart is based on a partial view of your data - useful to know before presenting results to stakeholders.
The coverage indicator helps you and your team decide whether you have enough data to draw reliable conclusions, and where to focus data collection efforts going forward.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to re-enter Spend or Energy data to use those as denominators?No. Spend (€) and Energy consumption (kWh) are pre-built denominators. Cozero reuses values already stored on your existing log entries - no re-entry needed.
Can I use intensity metrics if I do bulk uploads via Excel?
If you download a fresh bulk import template Intensity metric columns are dynamically added based on your organisation's configured custom inputs. If you are unsure which template you use, contact your Cozero customer support.
What roles can configure custom inputs?
Only users with the Admin or Manager role can create, edit, or archive custom inputs in Organisation Settings.
Can I delete a custom input after it has been used?
No. Once a custom input has been used in at least one log entry, it cannot be archived or deleted, to protect data integrity.
Can I set intensity-based reduction targets (e.g. reduce tCO₂e per shipment by 30%)?
Not yet. Intensity-based target-setting in the ACT module is not part of the current release and is under consideration for a future iteration.
Can I export the intensity charts to PDF or PNG?
Not currently. Chart export is on the backlog. In the meantime, you can take a manual screenshot of the results view.
My organisation uses period-level denominators (e.g. total headcount per year). Can I use this feature?
The current version only supports log-entry level denominators — values logged alongside each individual activity entry. Period-level or aggregate denominators (e.g. annual headcount or facility square-meterage) are not yet supported. This is planned for a potential future iteration.
What if my data has gaps - not every log entry has a denominator value?
That's expected and supported. The field is always optional. The coverage indicator on the results screen shows exactly what share of entries carry a value, so you can assess how representative the data is.