24 June 2016

First carbon accounting method launched for GLOBAL LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAIN

A universal method to calculate the carbon footprint of the logistics supply chain was released yesterday by the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) in Washington. GLEC, of which CLECAT is a member, is a group of companies, industry associations and programs, and backed by leading experts and other stakeholders.

For the first time, emissions can be calculated consistently at a global level covering road, rail, inland waterways, sea, air and transhipment centers,” said Sophie Punte, Executive Director of Smart Freight Centre (SFC), a global non-profit organization that leads the GLEC.

Freight and logistics generate around 6 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Companies are increasingly being asked to report and systematically reduce emissions, giving companies with a smaller carbon footprint a competitive advantage. Until now, comparing emissions across different modes of transport could be like comparing apples to oranges because so many methodologies exist.

The GLEC Framework for Logistics Emissions Methodologies combines existing methods into one framework and fills the gaps. It also carries the World Resources Institute ‘Built on GHG Protocol’ mark, making it compatible with global carbon accounting standards. “This has been a major international collaborative effort, and a milestone for shippers, carriers and logistics service providers who have been have been waiting for a harmonized cross-modal calculation method,” said Alan Lewis, SFC’s GLEC Director.

Leading multinationals including DB Schenker, Deutsche Post DHL Group, HP, Intel and Kuehne+Nagel have already committed to adopting the GLEC Framework.

The GLEC Framework for Logistics Emissions Methodologies 1.0 is available here.