Invisible Threats, Visible Solutions - How Air Pollution Accounting Can Clear the Air for Logistics 

Smart Freight Centre is helping the freight sector make the invisible visible, by adding air pollution to the picture alongside GHGs. This practical, standards-aligned approach gives members clear insights to act on health, climate, and efficiency, all from one consistent methodology and inventory: Air Pollutant Emissions Report - Methodology for the logistics sector.  

Air pollution in the transport sector is powered mainly by four invisible culprits: Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sulphur Oxides (SOx), Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), and Black Carbon (BC). Together, they warm the planet and have a significant health impact on billions of people in urban and sub-urban areas. 

Now, the logistics sector has a way to measure and manage them all. The new Air Pollutant Emissions Methodology, developed by Smart Freight Centre (SFC) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), empowers businesses to account these pollutants head-on, providing visibility to this issue which in turn leads to improved health, accelerated climate action, and clearing the air for good. 

The Question We Haven’t Asked 
You’re halfway through presenting your sustainability report in the quarterly meeting when someone at the table asks: 
“We track our GHG emissions… but what about air pollution?” 
The room goes quiet. You know your company’s trucks, ships, and planes keep supply chains moving forward, but also emit pollutants into the air we breathe. You’ve worked for years to cut carbon. But the truth is, carbon is only part of the sustainability story. 

Until recently, logistics sector had no simple way to track other pollutants besides GHG, no consistent data and no shared, widely adopted methodology. That’s finally changing. 

The Four Faces of Air Pollution 

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx): The Smog Makers 

Formed in high-temperature combustion, NOx gives polluted air its brown haze and sharp smell. It irritates lungs, worsens asthma, and contributes to acid rain and ground-level ozone. The main sources of NOx which humans are exposed come from the transport sector. Every truck engine, ship turbine, or plane takeoff adds to this toxic load. 

Sulphur Oxides (SOx): The Acid Rain Agents 

SOx gases, mostly sulphur dioxide, comes from burning sulphur-rich fuels, especially marine fuel oil. They react with water to create sulphuric acid, damaging crops, soil, and buildings. Although the International Maritime Organization’s 2020 sulphur cap drastically reduced these emissions, shipping remains the sector’s main SOx source. 

Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5): The Silent Killers

These microscopic particles lodge deep in our lungs and bloodstreams. Exposure causes heart and lung disease and millions of premature deaths each year. In logistics, PM comes from both the combustion process and non-exhaust sources, such as tire and brake wear. 

Black Carbon (BC): The Short-Lived Climate Forcer 

Black Carbon, the black soot from incomplete combustion, is one of the most powerful climate pollutants– up to 1,500 times more warming per gram than CO₂. It darkens snow and ice, speeding up melting, and inflames respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The upside? It stays in the atmosphere for only days, so cutting BC brings almost immediate climate and health benefits. 
The Invisible Connection: Climate and Health 
Air pollutants and greenhouse gases often come from the same engines and fuels. That means every step toward cleaner freight, better fuel efficiency, renewable energy, and electrification improves the air we breathe. 

But until recently, most companies calculated greenhouse gas emissions with the help of the GLEC Framework or the ISO 14083, and air pollutants (NOx, SOx, PM, and BC) were calculated separately with the support of the EMEP/EEA Guidebook. These air pollutant calculations were deemed too complex by many, too scattered, or simply overlooked.  

SFC is here to close that gap. Our mission is to fast-track the journey toward zero emissions in global logistics, making freight cleaner, smarter, and better for everyone. To support the industry in achieving this mission, we worked with SEI to harmonize a practical methodology for air pollutants, aligned with the GLEC Framework, so companies can use one common language and one data inventory to track both GHGs and air pollutants. Integrating air-quality into decarbonization dashboards aligns efforts and supports steady progress toward cleaner, healthier freight.  

Rethinking Emissions Scope in Logistics  
In 2017, Smart Freight Centre launched the first-ever Black Carbon Methodology for the Logistics Sector. It was pioneering, finally giving businesses a way to measure black carbon emissions within the logistics sector. 

Yet it focused only on Black Carbon as a climate forcer, leaving other pollutants with a more local impact out of the equation. It wasn’t fully aligned with the GLEC Framework, and data requirements were difficult for many companies to meet. The result: valuable awareness, but limited application. 

The industry needed something broader, easier, and fully integrated, a bridge between carbon and clean air accounting. 

Moving Beyond Black Carbon 
In 2025, Smart Freight Centre and the Stockholm Environment Institute with support from the Clean Air Fund, introduced the Air Pollutant Emissions Methodology for the Logistics Sector - the first attempt to bring all major pollutants together in one coherent system. 

The methodology outlined doesn't reinvent the wheel. It builds on proven frameworks and makes air pollutant emissions calculations easier for those already measuring greenhouse gases. 

It builds on the principles of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition and the Stockholm Environment Institute latest guidance on Integrated Guide for Business Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollutant Emission Assessment. It enables companies to measure NOx, SOx, PM, and BC emissions together, across the main transport modes. 

In short: it transforms air pollution from an afterthought into a core part of logistics strategy, and a new source of competitive advantage. 

A Breath of Fresh Air for Business and the Planet 
Air pollution is no longer invisible, it’s measurable, reportable, and solvable. The logistics sector now has the tools to act with precision and purpose. 

Reducing pollutants like BC and PM delivers results fast, cleaner air can be achieved in weeks, not decades. The Air Pollutant Emissions Methodology gives logistics leaders the confidence to take that next step, turning data into action and freight into a force for clean air. 

So next time someone asks in that meeting, “What about air pollution?”, you can answer with confidence: 
“We’re measuring it, managing it, and improving it… together.” 

Ready to act?  
Download the Air Pollutant Emissions Methodology for the Logistics Sector, go through the steps, and join our upcoming training with the SFC Academy. Use your existing GHG inventory to generate a first accounting for NOx, SOx, PM, and BC; spot hotspot lanes and modes; and plug the results into your decarbonization dashboard for CSRD/ESRS E2-ready reporting. If you want help, reach out to Smart Freight Centre for onboarding and tools, or join the SFC member platform to learn from peers and share what works. Let’s measure it, manage it, and make cleaner air part of everyday logistics decisions. 

Developed by: 
Smart Freight Centre (SFC) 
Supported by: Clean Air Fund 
Publication: Air Pollutant Emissions Methodology for the Logistics Sector, October 2025 

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