Getting started with GLEC

What is GLEC?

GLEC stands for Global Logistics Emissions Council. It is a framework created by the Smart Freight Centre that gives companies a standard way to measure greenhouse gas emissions from freight transport and logistics.

If your company moves goods — by road, rail, sea, or air — GLEC tells you exactly how to calculate the CO2 those shipments generate.

Why does it matter?

Without a standard methodology, every company measures logistics emissions differently. GLEC solves that by providing:

• One formula for all transport modes (road, rail, sea, air)
• Default emission factors when you don’t have exact data
• A reporting structure that separates Scope 1, 2, and 3

The result: comparable, auditable numbers you can include in your GHG inventory or share with clients.

Three building blocks

GLEC organizes logistics emissions into three pieces:

Block	What it covers	Example
TOC (Transport Operation Category)	A vehicle type + fuel combination	Diesel articulated truck
HOC (Hub Operation Category)	A warehouse or distribution center	Cold storage facility
Company Report	The full picture with Scope 1/2/3	Annual GLEC report

How the calculation works

Every transport leg follows the same formula:

CO2e (kg) = tonnes x km x emission factor

1. You tell Dcycle the origin, destination, weight, and vehicle type
2. Dcycle calculates the distance (or you provide it)
3. Dcycle matches the shipment to a TOC and its emission factor
4. The result: kg of CO2e for that leg

For hubs, the logic is similar but based on tonnes processed and facility type.

Well-to-Wheel: the full picture

GLEC uses Well-to-Wheel (WTW) accounting, which means it counts two things:

• Tank-to-Wheel (TTW): emissions from burning fuel in the vehicle (direct combustion)
• Well-to-Tank (WTT): emissions from producing and distributing that fuel (upstream)

WTW = TTW + WTT. This gives you the complete carbon footprint of each shipment.

Your role matters

Depending on your role in the supply chain, your workflow is different:

If you are a carrier (you operate vehicles):

1. Upload transport operations (legs)
2. Configure your hubs
3. Record fuel consumption
4. Generate your GLEC company report

If you are a shipper (you send goods via carriers):

1. Upload your shipments with carrier details
2. All transport emissions go under your Scope 3
3. Generate reports to share with stakeholders

What you need to start

• A Dcycle account with an active organization
• Your shipment data: origins, destinations, weights, and vehicle types
• Optionally: fuel consumption records for higher accuracy

Next steps

Follow the four steps in order:

1. Transport Operations — create legs and map them to TOCs
2. Hub Operations — configure warehouses and distribution centers
3. Fuel Consumption — record actual fuel data for Scope 1 precision
4. Reports — generate your GLEC company report