BIFAlink
Policy & Compliance
www.bifa.org
Ten questions for your climate partner when measuring logistics and transportation emissions
In this second of a series of articles for BIFAlink , the integrated carbon measurement and offsetting platform Pledge has compiled 10 key questions that you should ask a prospective climate partner
2. What methodologies do they adhere to? In order to calculate the footprint of a shipment, your climate partner has to combine the previously mentioned emissions intensity factors with several other data points using a specific calculation methodology. The GHG Protocol is one of the most commonly known approaches. It recommends combining the distance travelled, the weight carried (when relevant) and the emissions intensity factor for the corresponding vehicle, fuel type and geography. Domain specific methodologies are also available. For air transport, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) developed an emissions calculation approach that is well recognised. While there are multiple ways to calculate carbon footprint, not all these methodologies are robust and can be trusted. Being able to verify the source of the calculation conducted by your climate partner is essential. 3. Can it clearly explain the results? It is important to make sure that you understand the measurement data that your climate partner outputs, and that you can confidently report on it to your shareholders, clients and employees in a clear and concise way. This can be particularly important if you have to combat accusations of ‘greenwashing’ — in other words giving a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products or services are environmentally sound. 4. What modes of transport can it support? If your business uses a range of different transport modes, you do not want to end up using different measurement partners for each one. That is why checking your partner’s modal coverage is important before you commit. 5. Does it use vehicle or vessel identifiers to make your measurements more accurate? The International Maritime Organization (IMO) number, a unique
BIFA is cooperating with Pledge, an integrated carbon measurement and offsetting platform, to help Members better understand and address the environmental issues that affect how they manage international supply chains. Being a sustainable organisation is not just good for the environment, it is good for business too. A focus on sustainability can help you stand out as a competitor in your industry and drive efficiencies within your company. If you are a BIFA Member company getting started on your journey to Net Zero, you might not know where to start. There is a lot to consider, which is why many companies turn to third- party solution providers to play their climate partner. But with a vast range of sustainability consultancies and software solutions now on the market, it is important to complete your own checks. 1. What emissions factors do they use? There are different ways to calculate CO 2 emissions; it all depends on the information that you have available. The most accurate method is using primary data from your carrier, such as the amount of fuel consumed or the distance that your shipment has travelled. Unfortunately, this data can be difficult to obtain and it is hard to ensure consistency across the different carriers being used. If you do not have access to primary data, there are default values that can be used for measurement. An emission factor is a co-efficient which allows you to convert activity data into greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is the average emission rate of a given source, relative to units of activity. Emissions factors come from multiple sources. The Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) framework is the most widely used source in freight and logistics, but there are others that are more specific to given areas. EPA Smartway is commonly used for US-related emissions, DBEIS (formerly DEFRA) is used for UK emissions and ADEME for France. Asking your climate tech partner about the emission factors it uses is important, so as to confirm that its calculations are based on reliable sources.
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April 2023
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