Freight transport by Greenhouse Gas Protocol

Summary

This methodology represents greenhouse gas emissions associated with the freighting of goods in the geographic contexts of the US, UK and other regions. The data and calculation methodology is based on those provided in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol worksheet GHG emissions from transport or mobile sources (version 2.2), published in June 2011.

The methodology

Emissions model

The emissions methodology is based upon emissions factors which describe the rate at which greenhouse gas emissions are produced during the freighting of goods in relation to distance travelled and the quantity of goods freighted. These emissions factors represent emissions associated with individual units of freight, which can be contrasted with similar transport-related emissions factors which describe emissions on the basis of entire vehicles (e.g. entire ship or lorry).

Emissions - expressed in terms of mass (e.g. kg) - are calculated by multiplying these rates (mass emitted per mass distance; e.g. kg CO2 per ton mile) by a distance (e.g mile) and quantity (e.g. ton) freighted.

Model data

The rate at which freight transportation produces greenhouse gas emissions varies with the mode of transport, depending on factors such as the fuel efficiency (i.e. the distance achieved per unit of fuel consumed) of the particular type of vehicle (e.g. lorry, plane, train, ship) as well as the typical freight loading. Fuel efficiency may be related factors such as the type of fuel used (e.g. petrol, diesel, biofuel, electricity) and the physical dynamics of the transportation context (i.e. road, rail, water, air). The loading of freight indicates the extent to which the emissions of the entire vehicle can be 'shared' between units of freight. Therefore, emissions factors for a broad range of generalised freight transport scenarios are provided.

A total of 75 specific types of freight transport scenarios are represented and are differentiated by transport type (i.e. air, heavy goods vehicle, plane, rail, ship), vehicle size (e.g. gross vehicle weight) and region (UK, US, other regions).

Aside from air freighting, which is represented by a CO₂ emissions factor only, each freight transport type is represented by three distinct emissions factors which differentiate greenhouse gas emissions into the following types:

• CO₂ emissions
• CH₄ emissions
• N₂O emissions

Activity data required

According to this methodology, greenhouse gas emissions are directly proportionate to the distance and quantity (mass) of freight transported, both of which therefore must be specified in order to make an emissions calculation.

Calculation and result

The returned quantities for this methodology represent CO₂, CH₄, N₂O and CO₂e emissions associated with the activity data (distance/fuel) specified. CO₂e emissions represent all three gases, converted using these global warming potential). The individual quantities for CH₄ and N₂O represent absolute quantities rather than CO₂e quantities. For some scenarios within this methodology, emissions factors for CH₄ and N₂O are not available. In these cases values of zero are returned for the respective gases together with a notification comment. CO₂ and CO₂e values are returned as normal.

Similar methodologies

Other Greenhouse Gas Protocol transport methodologies are available representing general transport fuel consumption, fuels consumed in specific transport contexts, passenger/public transport, and road transportation in the UK (with heavy goods), US and other regions.

Notes

Default units

The CO₂ emissions factors contained within this methodology are presented in a mixture of units (i.e. kg [emissions] per short ton mile; kg [emissions] per tonne kilometer) in the original Greenhouse Gas Protocol source documentation.

For consistency, all CO₂ factors are presented within the CarbonKit platform in a common default unit: kg [emissions] per short ton mile. Emissions factors were converted using the tonne-kilometer-to-short-ton-mile conversion factor provided in the Reference - EF Fuel Use worksheet of the source documentation, i.e.

emission factor _{kg per short ton mile} = emission factor _{kg per tonne kilometer} * 1.45997231943488 _{tonne kilometers per short ton mile}

Users of CarbonKit can, of course, choose to specify their consumption in any appropriate unit with CarbonKit handling any required conversions.