New ‘Carbon Calculator’ keeps track of cargo transport emissions

The air cargo industry has long been sensitive to the high amount of carbon emissions, DHL has created an application that can help customers track the size of the carbon footprint left behind with every shipment.

With the introduction of the free “Carbon Calculator,” DHL customers can see the amount of emissions created by their shipment, regardless of mode, based on a complex series of algorithms. “While many other computational tools provide only a rough estimate of the transport emissions and the route, the Carbon Calculator taps into real logistics data,” said Kathrin Brost, vice president, green strategy and customer intelligence at DHL Global Forwarding. Those data include the route to the nearest airport, the main leg, whether by air or by sea, and the last-mile delivery method in the destination country.

To determine the level of emissions, the Carbon Calculator uses data from the DHL Carbon Accounting and Controlling department. The computational methodology meets the international Greenhouse Gas Protocol standards, the European Standard EN 16258 as well as the guidelines of the Global Logistics Emissions Council, DHL said. “With the intuitively operated Carbon Calculator, our customers can determine in advance the exact environmental impact of their shipment – at any time, from any place and free of charge,” said Katharina Tomoff, vice president, shared value, Deutsche Post DHL Group.

To calculate the emissions, customers can enter the sender’s and receiver’s locations, plus the weight and volume of each shipment, along with the preferred mode of transport. Based on the data entered, the calculator recommends a shipping route, which can be modified even further. The tool also calculates the amount of CO2-equivalent emissions that the shipment will generate. Inquiries can be made at any time, with no registration needed. Those who are registered, however, also have access to an expanded range of analytical functions.