GHG Inventory Boundary for Logistics & Transportation
A practical guide to help your company determine minimum inventory scope per GHG Protocol
Scope 1 (Direct Emissions)
- Fleet fuel consumption
- Warehouse heating (if applicable)
- Forklift/internal logistics
Scope 2 (Indirect Energy Emissions)
- Warehouse electricity
- Office electricity
- Cold storage
Dual Reporting: Location-based uses regional grid emission factors; market-based uses contractual factors (I-RECs, PPAs). Both approaches must be reported.
Scope 3 (Value Chain Emissions)
- 1Incomplete fleet fuel collection
- 2Not classifying subcontractor operations (scope1 vs Cat8/13)
- 3Missing warehouse cooling energy
- 4Confusing vehicle production lifecycle
- 5Not separating modes (road/sea/air)
- 6Including customer transport in own scope
- 7Confusing EF units (tonne-km / km / liters)
- 8Making Scope 2 market-based claim without documentation
- 9Ignoring travel/commuting
- 10Overlooking CapEx
Priority Categories
8 categoriesRoad fleet operator
Relevant: Scope1 dominant
Data: liters fuel
Approach: fuel-based
vehicle type and load factor
Maritime forwarding
Relevant: Subcontractor (Cat8)
Data: tonne-km
Approach: average-data
ship type
Cold warehouse operator
Relevant: Scope2 intensive
Data: kWh + m2
Approach: average-data
cooling technology
Express courier
Relevant: Scope1 (vehicle) + Scope2 (warehouse)
Data: liters + kWh
Approach: fuel + average-data
last mile EF
Multimodal (intermodal)
Relevant: Scope1 + Cat8
Data: mode-based tonne-km
Approach: hybrid
mode transition points
This content is for informational purposes. Your company's reporting scope may expand based on operational reality, reporting standards, assurance requirements, stakeholder expectations, and regulations.