Reporting on ISO14083: what logistics companies need to know

What is ISO 14083?

Introduced in March 2023, ISO 14083 is a common methodology for data collection and reporting of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the transport and logistics industry. It builds upon existing frameworks such as the EN16258 or the GLEC and aims to push towards a global standardization for emission tracking and reporting practices in the industry. According to the standard, ISO 14083 should improve the compatibility and comparability of emission results. It proposes calculating and reporting emissions from all transport modes consistently across the entire supply chain.

Who does it concern?

All logistics stakeholders (service providers, transport and hub operators, contractors, etc.) are concerned on an international level.

What significance does it have for logistics companies?

ISO 14083 should become the internationally recognized standard for the industry globally. Early adopters of the standard will increase the transparency of their supply chain and attest to their efforts towards net-zero objectives. They will also reduce the risks of losing commercial partnerships with suppliers and customers.In July 2023, the EU Commission made a proposal for a common GHG reporting framework, CountEmissions EU, that would reuse the ISO 14083 methodology. While it wouldn’t make emission reporting mandatory, logistics entities reporting GHG would need to follow the CountEmissions EU rules.

What changes does ISO 14083 introduce?

ISO 14083 brings changes in the calculation methodology, coverage, and process.

• The standard breaks down the transport chain into subcomponents: Transport Chain Elements (TCEs) and Transport Operation Categories (TOCs) or Hub Operation Categories (HOCs). A TCE represents a specific transport or hub operation, which is further categorized into TOCs or  HOCs. Those are groups of operations that share similar characteristics (based on mode, journey, freight, trade lane, or contract type). They are the reference points for the calculation of GHG emissions and emission intensities.

• The standard proposes to calculate emissions per transport chain.
• ISO 14083 separates the outcomes from offsetting or emission trading from the emission assessment.
• ISO 14083 has extended coverage. It covers all transport modes and includes both passenger and freight transport. It also includes operation emissions from the transportation hubs that facilitate the freight or passenger transfer between elements of the transport chain, such as ports, train terminals, or docking stations.
• Based on the round-trip approach, the standard accounts for empty trips.

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Data collection and emissions calculation steps

Identify your transport chain, its TCEs and associated TOCs/ HOCs.

Companies first need to map the processes and subprocesses of their transport chain(s), breaking it down into a set of TCEs and defining the TOCs and HOCs located under them.

Calculate TOC/HOC emissions and emissions intensities.

Next, you should identify the TCE applicable GHG emission intensity by linking it to the relevant TOC or HOC. You should use primary data. When unavailable, you can use secondary data but would need to justify and document it.

• Calculate the transport or hub activity. The standard allows for the calculation of transport activity distances using either the Great Circle Distance (GCD) for air travel and the Shortest Feasible Distance (SFD) for other transport modes. If unavailable, you may use actual distance with a distance adjustment factor.
• Calculate the TOC/HOC GHG emissions (vehicle operation + energy provision).
• Calculate the TOC/HOC GHG emission intensity (total GHG emissions/transport activity).
• Sum up transport or hub activities for all TOCs/ HOCs under the same TCE and divide the total emissions by total transport or hub activity to define a TCE’s emission intensity.

Addition and aggregate all your data.

Start by aggregating your TOC/HOC emissions at the TCE level. You’ll obtain your Transport Chain emissions from the sum of all its TCEs. Aggregate all your transport chains together to get the total freight and logistics emissions of your company. Check, document, and report.

How can Cozero’s Climate Action Platform support?

The emission calculation and tracking module of the Cozero platform, LOG, facilitates the mapping of emission categories and automates the calculation of emissions. We strongly believe in the adoption of a standardized emissions accounting methodology and are actively developing features and graph visualizations that follow standards and framework requirements including reference methodology, modeling parameters, and input data.