How to assess the carbon impact of a transport service?

According to Article L1431-3, the latest version of which has been in force since 19 August 2015, any company that provides a goods transport service is obliged to provide the beneficiary with the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted during this transport service.

Any company concerned is responsible for providing the means (calculation, estimation, measurement) to display this precise data.

A mandatory carbon assessment of the transport function

Gas emissions are a major source of global pollution.

Each member country participating in the COP meetings (Conference of the Parties of the UN Climate Convention) is committed to taking action to reduce global warming. Every business sector is called upon to make significant efforts for the environment.

In order to reduce the carbon impact of their activities, the first step is the assessment.

This exhaustive balance sheet is required to list all sources of CO2 emissions:

• all vehicles (trucks and company cars),
• all production processes,
• and also the ancillary but essential operating activities such as the accounting, IT, financial and
• administrative departments.

The company collects all the data concerning energy production and consumption in its own environment and in all its services.

Segmenting the transport service: the solution for assessing its carbon impact

When carrying out your company’s carbon footprint, you highlight the role played by the transport service function, whether you are a service provider or a client.

Depending on the size of the company and its area of expertise, carrying out this carbon assessment can be complex.

There are a number of ways of approaching the issue. However, in the case of a transport company or one using transport services, segmenting the activities to assess the carbon impact of each item appears to be the most accurate solution.

Define the scope of actions

In order to obtain an accurate assessment of GHG emissions, it is necessary to start by defining the perimeters of potentially emitting activities.

In the transport of goods (particularly in the provision of services), a distinction must be made between the so-called operating phase and the production phase:

• The first concerns the actual use of the means of road transport (van, semi-trailer, etc.). The major source is the combustion of the energy source.
• The production phase includes all the upstream actions that make the use of the vehicle fleet possible, including those related to the energy used (renewable or fossil).

Determine the objectives of the assessment: compliance, calculation, communication and analysis

When carrying out a CSR assessment, the importance of consistency and high quality of the data collected is paramount.

You must specify the method of calculation (or estimation via the ADEME carbon base) and the type of data collected. Each stage of your supply chain must be filled in (data acquisition method and emission calculation/estimation formula) via the emission factors in the ADEME database in particular.

The implementation of a CSR strategy within the company must be carried out methodically in order to :

• ensure compliance with current regulations (in France and throughout the European Union),
• set ecological objectives (final values for the reduction of polluting gas emissions),
• estimate (by calculation, measurement or through the ADEME carbon base) the total value in tons of CO2 equivalent of your carbon impact,
• communicate on the results obtained,
• analyse the effectiveness of the emissions reduction method.
• Define the carbon data to be collected and the desired precision value.

Define the carbon data to be collected and the desired accuracy value.

In the CSR report, the importance of consistency and high quality of the data collected is paramount.

You must specify the calculation method (or estimation method via the ADEME carbon base) and the type of data collected. Each stage of your supply chain must be filled in (data acquisition method and emission calculation/estimation formula) via the emission factors in the ADEME database in particular.

The degrees of accuracy of the data are legislated according to 4 levels of accuracy:

• Level 1. The values are the default values of the 2012 Order.
• Level 2. The values are averages calculated over the entire activity of the transport provider.
• Level 3. The values are average values of the provider’s activity, segmented according to the breakdown of its activity (type of client, mode of transport, etc.). (type of client, mode of transport used, distance travelled etc.).
• Level 4. Values are calculated from actual trip data for all trips according to exact energy consumption, loading on each trip, etc.

Calculate or estimate the overall emission

Within the framework of a freight transport (TMS), for each trip, you are in possession of emissions data depending on :

• the desired degree of precision,
• the type of transport mode selected,
• the fuel (diesel/gasoline, petrol, electric, biofuel)
• the type of motorisation,
• whether or not the driver has implemented eco-driving on the routes,
• the choice of route for the journeys made
• the downtime of the trucks when loading goods or between two deliveries.

Details of the calculation method can be found here.

Achieving the carbon impact reduction target

After a detailed analysis of the results of the initial assessment, the list of actions to be taken is put in place.

Then, the use of a digital solution such as TMS allows for each iteration of the measures to ensure full traceability of the data. In real time, the logistics manager knows the exact position of the company in relation to the objective to be achieved. This is an essential decision-making aid for making changes in almost real time.

DDS Logistics, your reference for decarbonising your supply chain

Contact DDS Logistics to implement dedicated digital tools to decarbonise your supply chain. Our developers implement innovative modules to make your SCM green and thus comply with current legislation. Our experts are at your service.