Single approach used by industry, government and investors
International standards give consumers and investors more confidence in the products, services and information that companies provide. Regulators and governments count on standards to help develop better and more consistent policy and regulations. Companies themselves save time when they can rely on standards, because they don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
The GLEC Framework has rapidly become the common industry guideline for calculating and reporting emissions from freight transportation and logistics. However, a formal ISO standard ensures a single approach that will be widely accepted by industry, governments and investors.
In collaboration with the German Institute for Certification (DIN), and members of an ISO working group, SFC was instrumental in setting up the process for a new ISO 14083 standard, marking its foray into a new phase of global standardization. The GLEC Framework was a core element used to develop the content for the new standard, with Alan Lewis, SFC's Technical Director, leading the project. The development of ISO 14083 is an important milestone in gaining broader acceptance of the principles established in the GLEC Framework, which has been shaped in collaboration with the industry over a period of nearly 10 years.
By aligning with the GLEC Framework, ISO 14083 facilitates the adoption of consistent processes by governments, international organizations, and investors, which have already been embraced by the industry.
In simple terms, both the GLEC Framework and the newly introduced ISO 14083 standard enable the consistent calculation and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in global logistics. Currently, efforts are underway to update the GLEC Framework to ensure its full alignment with the new ISO standard. The release of GLEC Framework version 3.0 is scheduled for September 2023 and will continue to serve as the primary guideline for the industry in implementing ISO 14083.
Learn more about ISO 14083.
What has this project delivered?
New ISO Standard
ISO 14083 “Quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions of transport operations.” The principles and methodology for freight transport are based on, and consistent with, the GLEC Framework. This emphasizes its position as the industry guideline for logistics emission accounting and reporting across the multimodal supply chain.
Accredited programs and tools:
The new ISO Standard is aligned with SFC’s ‘in conformance with the GLEC Framework’ accreditation of programs and tools. This means that companies currently using accredited programs and tools won’t need to make changes in the future.
What is next?
Smart Freight Centre has expanded its work on standardization in GHG accounting. Now that ISO 14083 is published, we are focusing on ensuring competent assurance of the reported GHG information. In July 2023, we launched a Conformity Assessment Scheme. This scheme is one more step in our collaborative work to identify solutions and advocate logistics decarbonization strategies. You can learn more about the scheme and how your organization can join this initiative by clicking on the button below.
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