GLEC: Global Emissions Language in Logistics – A Guide for CTOs

Why does measuring emissions in logistics matter?

In an era of growing regulatory requirements and expectations from customers and investors, controlling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is becoming not just a requirement, but a strategic priority. For CTOs in the logistics industry responsible for implementing technologies that support sustainable development, a tool for comparable and reliable emissions reporting is essential. That tool is the GLEC methodology.

What is the GLEC Framework?

The Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) is an internationally recognized framework for calculating and reporting GHG emissions in transport operations. It was designed to standardize the way emissions are measured, so that companies can:

• Measure emissions consistently,
• Compare themselves with one another,
• Effectively identify opportunities for emission reduction.

GLEC is fully compliant with the ISO 14083 standard, making it an accepted foundation for environmental reporting.

Which modes of transport does GLEC cover?

The methodology covers:

• Road, rail, air, sea, and inland waterway transport,
• Every stage of the journey: from terminals to the last mile,
• FTL (Full Truckload), LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) transport, and multimodal supply chains.

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WTW vs TTW – What do they mean and why are they important?

Tank-to-Wheel (TTW)

These are emissions from the operation of the vehicle itself – what “comes out of the tailpipe”. They are the easiest to measure, based on actual fuel consumption.

📌 Example: Burning 100 liters of diesel is approx. 268 kg CO₂ of TTW emissions.

Well-to-Tank (WTT)

This includes emissions before the fuel is burned, i.e., during its extraction, processing, and delivery to the vehicle. Often overlooked, yet important when comparing alternative fuels.

📌 Example: Producing 100 liters of diesel generates ~56 kg CO₂e.

Well-to-Wheel (WTW)

This is the full perspective: the sum of WTT and TTW emissions. It allows companies to accurately assess the environmental impact of each fuel type and make strategic decisions regarding fleet and energy.

📌 Summary:
100 liters of diesel = 324 kg CO₂e (56 WTT + 268 TTW)

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Case Study – Calculating emissions according to GLEC

👉 Scenario:

A company transports goods using a refrigerated truck (Euro 6) on a 1000 km round-trip route. The vehicle returns empty.

• Fuel consumption (loaded): 30 l/100 km + 15% (cooling)
• Fuel consumption (empty): 15 l/100 km
• Distance: 1000 km (500 km loaded, 500 km return)
• Load: 10 tons

Step by step:

1. Fuel consumption:
   
   • Loaded: 500 km × 30 l/100 km = 150 l × 1.15 = 172.5 l
   • Empty: 500 km × 15 l/100 km = 75 l
   • Total: 247.5 l
     
2. WTW emission factor:
   
   • 3.429 kg CO₂e/liter
     
3. WTW emissions:
   
   • 247.5 l × 3.429 kg CO₂e = 771.5 kg CO₂e
     
4. Tonne-kilometers:
   
   • 500 km × 10 t = 5000 tkm
     
5. Emission intensity:
   
   • 771.5 kg CO₂e / 5000 tkm = 0.1543 kg CO₂e/tkm

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Why should CTOs implement GLEC?

✅ Regulatory compliance

In the EU and other regions, Scope 3 emissions reporting is becoming mandatory. GLEC facilitates compliance with the CSRD directive and the ISO 14083 standard.

✅ Competitive advantage

Customers and contractors prefer companies with low emissions. Emission transparency is becoming the new currency in tenders.

✅ Better strategic decisions

By making decisions about fleet, fuels, and route optimization based on full WTW data, CTOs can realistically reduce their carbon footprint and costs.

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Summary

GLEC is not just another spreadsheet to fill out – it is the language spoken by sustainable logistics. By understanding the differences between TTW and WTW and implementing consistent emission allocation methods, CTOs can transform reporting into a real source of operational innovation and strategic advantage.

If you want to learn more about how to integrate telemetry data, TMS, and reports from subcontractors in compliance with GLEC – contact us.