Emissions Calculation
How Carbonpunk calculates transport emissions
Emissions Calculation Methodology
Carbonpunk uses a robust methodology to calculate the carbon emissions associated with your logistics operations. Our approach is based on industry standards and best practices for greenhouse gas accounting.
Basic Calculation Formula
The fundamental formula used for calculating transport emissions is:
Where:
- Activity Data represents the transportation activity, typically measured as weight (tons) × distance (km)
- Emissions Factor is the amount of greenhouse gases emitted per unit of activity, specific to each transport mode
Detailed Calculation Process
Data Collection
Carbonpunk collects essential shipment data including:
- Origin and destination locations
- Shipment weight
- Transport mode
- Date of shipment
- Distance (if available)
Distance Calculation
If distance is not provided, Carbonpunk calculates it based on origin and destination coordinates using:
- Great-circle distance for air transport
- Road network distance for road transport
- Rail network distance for rail transport
- Shipping routes for sea transport
Emissions Factor Selection
The appropriate emissions factor is selected based on:
- Transport mode (air, sea, road, rail)
- Vehicle/vessel type (when available)
- Fuel type (when available)
- Region-specific factors (when applicable)
Emissions Calculation
The final calculation multiplies the activity data by the emissions factor:
- For weight-based calculations: Weight (tons) × Distance (km) × Emissions Factor (kg CO2e/ton-km)
- For volume-based calculations: Volume (m³) × Distance (km) × Emissions Factor (kg CO2e/m³-km)
Transport Mode Specifics
Each transport mode has specific considerations in our emissions calculation methodology:
Emissions Factors Sources
Carbonpunk uses emissions factors from reputable sources, including:
- GLEC Framework (Global Logistics Emissions Council)
- DEFRA (UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
- EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency)
- EcoTransIT World
- ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)
- IMO (International Maritime Organization)
These factors are regularly updated to reflect the latest research and technological developments in the transport sector.
Data Quality and Uncertainty
The accuracy of emissions calculations depends on the quality of input data:
| Data Quality Level | Description | Uncertainty Range |
|---|---|---|
| High | Primary data with specific vehicle/vessel information | ±5-10% |
| Medium | Mode-specific data with standard emissions factors | ±10-25% |
| Low | Estimated data with default values | ±25-50% |
Carbonpunk strives to use the highest quality data available and clearly indicates the level of certainty in emissions calculations.