Calculating the carbon footprint of automotive logistics

The automotive industry has made ambitious promises on decarbonisation. Turning those pledges into practical, measurable progress across complex global supply chains is far more challenging, with logistics networks that involve thousands of suppliers, multiple transport modes and vast differences in vehicle types, routes and regulatory environments.

But OEMs and logistics providers are increasingly clear that sustainability goals must move to operational reality. From electrifying inbound truck fleets to developing standardised emissions reporting, companies are learning how to calculate, manage and ultimately reduce the environmental impact of moving vehicles and components.

Focusing on what can be controlled

For logistics providers, the first step is identifying where genuine influence lies. Mats Eriksson, CEO of Scandinavian finished vehicle logistics specialist Axess Logistics, argued at the recent ECG Sustainability Days that progress depends on practical action rather than waiting for regulatory certainty.

“Our aim is not to focus so much on what we can’t influence,” he said. “Of course we look at regulation, but we would like to focus more on things we have in our hands. We can change a lot by ourselves.”

The challenge of measuring logistics emissions

Accurately calculating the emissions produced by logistics operations is complex due to variables like route length, vehicle utilisation, fuel type and load characteristics. In vehicle logistics, the problem is even more complicated because different models have different weights and dimensions.

While several reporting frameworks exist, including the Science Based Targets initiative’s Automotive Sector Net-Zero Standard, there is still no universally accepted method for measuring logistics emissions, and many are still in draft or consultation phases when the industry needs to use them now.

Dr. Stefan Doch, managing director and senior partner at Berlin-based consulting firm ITCL said communication is needed across supply chains to ensure emissions are being calculated and reported the same way.

He explained that in FVL, a more sophisticated approach is needed to take into account the dimensions and weight of different vehicles and models being transported and report its emissions as a unified KPI, compared to a simple container.

“The first thing is standardising the data exchange in both directions, getting the needed information from the customer side in the proper way, and providing it in the right way to the customer IT systems. We need a lean and clean approach,” he said.

Without common standards, comparisons between logistics providers or transport modes can be misleading, undermining sustainability efforts.