Logistics Site: GLEC

💡 High-Level Description:

The Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) serves as a pioneering organization when it comes to framing standardized approaches for calculating greenhouse gas emissions in logistics. Their emphasis is particularly evident in the area of logistics sites—those central hubs where goods are stored, managed, and dispatched. Given the high energy consumption and associated emissions of these sites, accurate calculation becomes paramount. GLEC's methodology presents an integrated approach to logistics emissions accounting. It captures a holistic view, encompassing all activities within a logistics site—from storage cooling systems to material handling equipment.

By offering a consistent, globally recognized standard, GLEC enables logistics sites worldwide to measure, manage, and reduce their carbon footprint. Their framework ensures a level playing field, fostering a more sustainable and competitive global logistics industry. The integration of direct and indirect emissions sources within the framework also ensures a comprehensive understanding of a logistics site's total environmental impact, enabling effective mitigation strategies.

Sample API Requests

A. Without audit mode (for pre-booking/quotes)

{
  "expand": ["items"],
  "items": [
    {
      "audit": false,
      "type": "logistics_site",
      "external_reference": "test_1",
      "weight_in_tonnes": 8,
      "methodology": "GLEC",
      "logistics_site_type": "storage_and_transhipment",
      "condition_type": "ambient"
    }
  ]
}

B. With audit mode (for finalized/post-booking calculations)

{
  "expand": ["items"],
  "audit_for": "<Auditable Entity ID>",
  "items": [
    {
      "audit": true,
      "type": "logistics_site",
      "external_reference": "test_1",
      "weight_in_tonnes": 8,
      "methodology": "GLEC",
      "logistics_site_type": "storage_and_transhipment",
      "condition_type": "ambient"
    }
  ]
}

Note: audit_for is optional. Provide when calculating on behalf of a specific Auditable entity; otherwise omit.

API Request Items

• "type": "logistics_site" (required)

• "methodology": "GLEC" (required)

• "external_reference": A unique identifier that helps you link the resulting emissions to the requested item. Especially useful if multiple items are requested since SQUAKE cannot guarantee to keep the same order. The maximum length is 128 characters.

• "weight_in_tonnes": Numeric value.

• "logistics_site_type": Values are transhipment_site, storage_and_transhipment, warehouse, maritime_container_terminal, or liquid_bulk_terminal. Default value is warehouse.

• "condition_type": temperature_controlled is only relevant for logistics site type maritime_container_terminal. Values are ambient, mixed, or temperature_controlled. Default value is mixed.

• "audit": boolean (optional). Set to true to create immutable audit records for finalized calculations. Must be enabled for your account.

Default values

• "logistics_site_type": "storage_and_transhipment"

• "condition_type": "mixed"

Sample API Response

{
    "carbon_quantity": 16800,
    "carbon_unit": "gram",
    "items": [
        {
            "carbon_quantity": 16800,
            "carbon_unit": "gram",
            "external_reference": "test_1",
            "type": "logistics_site",
            "methodology": "GLEC",
            "algorithm_specifics": {
                "algorithm_type": "glec",
                "data": {
                    "co2e_in_g": 16800,
                    "co2e_per_tonne_in_g": 2100,
                    "reporting_year": 2024,
                    "transportation_mode": "logistics_site"
                }
            }
        }
    ]
}

Smart Freight Center helped us fine tune our calculations of all freight and logistics related operations in accordance with the GLEC framework.

Bibliography

• Smart Freight Center (2024). Global Logistics Emissions Council Framework V3.1.

• Towards efficient and zero emissions (n.d.). Smart Freight Centre. Retrieved from https://www.smartfreightcentre.org/en/