Episode 25 | Freight Emissions 101: Simplifying Scope 3 and Reporting with The GLEC Framework

Episode 22: The Catalyst Series | How ShipZero Is Driving Data-Driven Freight Decarbonization

Write your awesome label here.

This podcast is available on  

Freight transportation is responsible for approximately 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and as global trade continues to grow, so too does the urgency to decarbonize logistics. Yet for many organizations, especially those outside the transport sector, freight emissions remain an underexplored component of their sustainability strategy.

In this episode of Smart Freight Conversations, Andy Golding, Director Strategic Services, sits down with Rebecca Powell, Senior Program Manager for GLEC at Smart Freight Centre explored why logistics emissions accounting is critical for modern businesses and how the GLEC Framework simplifies what has historically been a highly complex process.

Freight Emissions: A Significant but Often Hidden Challenge
For many companies, freight and logistics emissions can represent 20–30% of total emissions, even when logistics is not their primary business function. This makes freight a major opportunity area for Scope 3 emissions reductions and sustainable procurement transformation.
However, emissions accounting in logistics has traditionally been challenging due to:
  • Fragmented methodologies
  • Inconsistent assumptions
  • Complex multimodal supply chains
  • Limited access to primary supplier data
The GLEC Framework: A Practical One-Stop Shop
Developed by Smart Freight Centre and now aligned with ISO 14083, the GLEC Framework offers businesses:
  • Standardized logistics emissions calculation methodologies
  • Default emissions values where primary data is unavailable
  • Practical calculation examples
  • Reporting guidance for internal and external stakeholders
  • Compatibility with key sustainability frameworks including GHG Protocol, CDP, and SBTi
This makes the GLEC Framework an essential resource for organizations seeking credible, consistent, and globally recognized logistics emissions reporting.

Start Where You Are
A critical message from the discussion is that companies do not need perfect data to begin. Starting with default values and progressively improving toward primary data enables organizations to build stronger logistics emissions inventories over time.

Sustainable Logistics Requires Collaboration
Freight decarbonization cannot happen in isolation. Procurement teams, sustainability leaders, carriers, shippers, and logistics service providers must work together to improve data exchange, strengthen procurement decisions, and drive long-term transformation.

Final Thoughts
As regulations tighten and sustainability expectations rise, logistics emissions accounting is no longer optional. It is a strategic necessity.

By leveraging the GLEC Framework, businesses can improve transparency, strengthen sustainable logistics procurement, and take measurable steps toward zero-emissions logistics.

For organizations serious about freight decarbonization, the journey starts with understanding their logistics emissions — and taking action.

Listen to the full episode and enroll in the courses below to learn more.

Courses Related to this subject: