World's First Carbon Calculator for Finished Vehicle Logistics
Existing carbon calculators do not account for the specialized transportation modes used for finished vehicles and are therefore inaccurate and misleading for this sector. Vehnet has developed the world’s first software tool for calculating the CO2 generated by transporting finished vehicles by road, rail or sea, across Europe. Commissioned by the ECG and based on an extensive independent research project, funded by the ECG and undertaken by Friends of The Earth Italy, the Carbon Calculator will enable logistics providers to accurately calculate their carbon footprint. This in turn will support car manufacturers who wish to account for their own carbon impact across the supply chain. The Carbon Calculator, which is FREE to all ECG members, will be the single consistent standard used by ECG members in Europe.
Global concerns over the impact of Greenhouse gases on the environment have resulted in greater focus on CO2 emissions monitoring, measurement and reduction. As a responsible organization representing the interests of finished vehicle logistics providers, the ECG initiated a study by Friends of The Earth Italy, whose expertise and authority in this area is widely recognized and respected. The study, which focused specifically on the finished vehicle logistics sector, provided a comprehensive set of specific CO2 emissions data by using road vehicles, rail and ships valid in the European context. From this data Vehnet has created specialized software to produce CO2 inventories at company level, which simplify the monitoring and reduction of emissions.
The Carbon Calculator can be used to calculate CO2 generated within a given period, enabling ECG members to monitor their own emissions and develop strategies for reduction accordingly.
It can also provide valuable information to car manufacturers about the levels of CO2 generated by transporting a particular brand. This is especially useful when a logistics provider uses his transport to carry more than one brand on a load.
A large number of factors are taken into consideration such as type of transportation, size of ship, type of truck motor, terrain, weight of vehicles and many more. These are factors which apply to the specialized transportation used for vehicle logistics.
Why develop a standard?
The car manufacturers are now considering how to collect CO2 information. The issue for the sector is that if each OEM has different calculations and formats for the results, then a huge cost and administration burden will fall on the Logistics Service Providers (LSPs), who must perform an unnecessary variety of calculations. Further, the LSPs will not be paid for providing this information. Additional cost is unwelcome at any time and ultimately escalates to the OEM as higher rates. So, this new, sector specific Carbon Calculator provides benefit to all parties.
Carbon Calculator for other Regions
The Carbon Calculator is based on extensive research and data for the European region. Please enquire if your operation is in other regions.