Downstream Transportation and Distribution emissions are the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the transportation and distribution of goods and products to their final destinations in vehicles not owned or operated by you.
This includes emissions from various modes of transport, such as trucks, ships, trains, and planes, as well as energy used in warehouses and distribution facilities. There are multiple downstream transportation and distribution calculation methods to choose from.
For Downstream transportation emissions, you can use:
The Distance and mass method calculates emissions based on distance travelled, freight, vehicle type, and weight of mass transported. It is available for road, rail, air, and sea freight. This is the recommended Downstream transportation calculation method as it is the most accurate.
The Origin and destination and mass transported method uses the location of the transport's origin and destination, as well as the mass of goods transported, to calculate emissions. It is available for road, rail and air freight.
The Distance method calculates emissions based on distance, freight, vehicle type, and fuel type used. It is available for road freight only.
The Origin and destination method uses the location of the origin and destination of the transport to calculate emissions. It is available for road freight only.
The Spend-based method calculates emissions based on the spend per transportation type. It is available for road, rail, air, and sea freight.
The Bring Your Own Emissions method allows you to upload your own pre-calculated emissions to the Plan A platform.
For Downstream distribution emissions, you can use:
The Logistic hubs: Average data method can be used to calculate emissions related to the movement of goods through logistic hubs (distribution centres) downstream. You will need data on the mass or area of goods transported, the type of freight used, the logistic hub type, and the temperature control required.
The Spend-based method can also be used to calculate emissions based on the spend per warehousing and storage.
The Bring Your Own Emissions method allows you to upload your own pre-calculated emissions to the Plan A platform.
Step-by-step: Format Origin and destination and mass transported data
Step-by-step: Format Origin and destination and mass transported data
There are several ways to enter your data. Regardless of which method you choose, you must include all required information to ensure accurate emissions calculations. Below, we’ve listed the key data points you need to include.
Column A: start_date
The first day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column B: end_date
The last day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
It can be the same as the start date if you are entering data for just one day.
This field is mandatory.
Column C: facility_name
The facility that the respective emissions should be allocated to.
Make sure to apply exactly the same names you set in ‘Organisational Data’.
Column D: freight_type
The type of freight used.
Choose from:
road
rail
air
This field is mandatory.
Column E: fuel_type
The type of fuel used.
Choose from:
electricity
unknown
This field is mandatory.
Column F: vehicle_type
If road was selected as a freight_type, specify the vehicle here.
Choose from:
truck
van
This field is only necessary if you select road as your freight_type.
Column G: origin
The starting location of the trip.
For flights, enter either:
IATA airport code
ICAO airport code
For road trips, enter any of the following:
city name, country name
postal code, country name
postal code, city name, country name
full address
For train trips, enter any of the following:
city name, country name
station name, country name
full address
Please note the origin and destination values cannot be the same.
This field is mandatory.
Column H: destination
The end location of the trip.
For flights, enter either:
IATA airport code
ICAO airport code
For road trips, enter any of the following:
city name, country name
postal code, country name
postal code, city name, country name
full address
For train trips, enter any of the following:
city name, country name
station name, country name
full address
Please note the origin and destination values cannot be the same.
This field is mandatory.
Column I: mass
The mass transported for the indicated timeframe.
Format: Numbers using periods as decimal separators.
This field is mandatory.
Column J: mass.unit
Select the unit of mass of the goods transported. Choose from:
kg (kilograms)
t (metric tonnes)
ton (short tons)
lb (pounds)
This field is mandatory.
Step-by-step: Format Origin and destination of transport data
Step-by-step: Format Origin and destination of transport data
There are several ways to enter your data. Regardless of which method you choose, you must include all required information to ensure accurate emissions calculations. Below, we’ve listed the key data points you need to include.
Column A: start_date
The first day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column B: end_date
The last day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
It can be the same as the start date if you are entering data for just one day.
This field is mandatory.
Column C: facility_name
The facility that the respective emissions should be allocated to.
Make sure to apply exactly the same names you set in ‘Organisational Data’.
Column D: freight_type
The type of freight used.
Choose from:
road
This field is mandatory.
Column E: fuel_type
The type of fuel used.
Choose from:
electricity
unknown
This field is mandatory.
Column F: vehicle_type
The mode of transport used.
Choose from:
bike
car
motorcycle
truck
van
This field is mandatory.
Column G: origin
The starting location of the trip.
Please enter any of the following:
city name, country name
postal code, country name
postal code, city name, country name
full address
Please note the origin and destination values cannot be the same.
This field is mandatory.
Column H: destination
The ending location of the trip.
Please enter any of the following:
city name, country name
postal code, country name
postal code, city name, country name
full address
Please note the origin and destination values cannot be the same.
This field is mandatory.
Step-by-step: Format Distance and mass transported data
Step-by-step: Format Distance and mass transported data
There are several ways to enter your data. Regardless of which method you choose, you must include all required information to ensure accurate emissions calculations. Below, we’ve listed the key data points you need to include.
Column A: start_date
The first day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column B: end_date
The last day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
It can be the same as the start date if you are entering data for just one day.
This field is mandatory.
Column C: location
The ISO-3166 alpha-2 code of the country where the transport originated (e.g., DE).
This field is mandatory.
Column D: facility_name
The facility that the respective emissions should be allocated to.
Make sure to apply exactly the same names you set in ‘Organisational Data’.
Column E: value
Distance travelled: the distance travelled in the selected unit.
Numbers should be formatted using numeric values only and using a dot as the decimal separator (e.g. 25634.20).
This field is mandatory.
Column F: value.unit
Select the unit for distance travelled:
km (kilometre)
mi (mile)
This field is mandatory.
Column G: freight_type
The type of freight used.
Choose from:
road
rail
air
sea
This field is mandatory.
Column H: fuel_type
The type of fuel used.
Choose from:
electricity
unknown
This field is mandatory.
Column I: vehicle_type
This column is only necessary if freight type was ‘road’
Choose from:
van
truck
Note: The vehicle type "van" corresponds to Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV), "truck" to Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV).
Column J: air_freight_range
This column is only necessary if freight type was ‘air'
Choose from:
short (up to 1000km)
medium (up to 3700km)
long (3700km +)
Column K: mass
The mass transported in the selected unit for the indicated timeframe.
Numbers should be formatted using numeric values only and using a dot as the decimal separator (e.g. 25634.20).
This field is mandatory.
Column L: mass.unit
Select the unit for mass transported
kg (kilogram)
lb (pound)
t (metric tonne = 1000 kgs)
ton (short ton = 2000 lbs)
Column M: route
When uploading your data we recommend adding the route.
This data can provide valuable insights into your travel patterns, such as which routes and modes of transport are frequently used.
With this information, you can take targeted decarbonisation actions to reduce emissions on those routes.
This field is optional but recommended.
Optional tags
As always, you can add optional columns for company specific tags.
Learn more about how tags work: Tag Your Data.
Step-by-step: Format Distance data
Step-by-step: Format Distance data
There are several ways to enter your data. Regardless of which method you choose, you must include all required information to ensure accurate emissions calculations. Below, we’ve listed the key data points you need to include.
Column A: start_date
The first day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column B: end_date
The last day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
It can be the same as the start date if you are entering data for just one day.
This field is mandatory.
Column C: location
The ISO-3166 alpha-2 code of the country where the transport originated (e.g., DE).
This field is mandatory.
Column D: facility_name
The facility that the respective emissions should be allocated to.
Make sure to apply exactly the same names you set in ‘Organisational Data’.
Column E: value
Distance travelled: the distance travelled in the selected unit.
Numbers should be formatted using numeric values only and using a dot as the decimal separator (e.g. 25634.20).
This field is mandatory.
Column F: value.unit
Select the unit for distance travelled:
km (kilometre)
mi (mile)
This field is mandatory.
Column G: freight_type
The type of freight used.
Choose from:
road
This field is mandatory.
Column H: fuel_type
The type of fuel used.
Choose from:
electricity
unknown
This field is mandatory.
Column I: vehicle_type
This column is only necessary if freight type was ‘road’
Choose from:
van
truck
motorcycle
bike
car
Note: The vehicle type "van" corresponds to Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV), "truck" to Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV).
Column J: route
When uploading your data we recommend adding the route.
This data can provide valuable insights into your travel patterns, such as which routes and modes of transport are frequently used.
With this information, you can take targeted decarbonisation actions to reduce emissions on those routes.
This field is optional but recommended.
Optional tags
As always, you can add optional columns for company specific tags.
Learn more about how tags work: Tag Your Data.
Step-by-step: Format Spend-based data
Step-by-step: Format Spend-based data
There are several ways to enter your data. Regardless of which method you choose, you must include all required information to ensure accurate emissions calculations. Below, we’ve listed the key data points you need to include.
Column A: start_date
The first day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column B: end_date
The last day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
It can be the same as the start date if you are entering data for just one day.
This field is mandatory.
Column C: location
The ISO-3166 alpha-2 code of the country where the emissions occurred (e.g., DE).
This field is mandatory.
Column D: facility_name
The facility that the respective emissions should be allocated to.
Make sure to apply exactly the same names you set in ‘Organisational Data’.
Column E: value
The gross spend amount in the selected currency for the transportation.
Numbers should be formatted using numeric values only and using a dot as the decimal separator (e.g. 25634.20).
This field is mandatory.
In your spend data, you may notice some negative figures, reflecting refunds. These should still be included in your data upload so that previously reported emissions relating to refunded goods can be deducted from your carbon balance accordingly. Negative spend data will be reflected as negative emissions values in the month the refund was given.
Column F: value.currency
Enter the currency your spend data is in.
Format: Three letter currency code (EUR, USD, GBP, etc)
This field is mandatory
Column G: freight_type
The type of freight used. This should correspond to the value for plana_category.
Choose from:
road (for plana_category Truck transportation or Couriers and messengers)
rail (for plana_category Rail transportation or Couriers and messengers)
air (for plana_category Air transportation or Couriers and messengers)
sea (for plana_category Water transportation or Couriers and messengers)
logistic hub (for plan_category Warehousing and storage)
This helps aggregate Scope 3 Category 4 emissions calculated using different methods on your dashboards.
This field is mandatory.
Column H: plana_category
The Plan A category that your business activity falls under.
Choose from:
Air transportation for freight type air
Rail transportation for freight type rail
Truck transportation for freight type road
Water transportation for freight type sea
Couriers and messengers for the express delivery of smaller goods from local hubs to consumers
Warehousing and storage for the use of third-party warehousing and storage facilities
This field is mandatory.
Column I: vehicle_type
This column is only necessary if freight type was ‘road’
Choose from:
van
truck
motorcycle
Note: The vehicle type "van" corresponds to Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV), "truck" to Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV).
Column J: route
When uploading your data we recommend adding the route.
This data can provide valuable insights into your travel patterns, such as which routes and modes of transport are frequently used.
With this information, you can take targeted decarbonisation actions to reduce emissions on those routes.
This field is optional but recommended.
Optional tags
As always, you can add optional columns for company specific tags.
Learn more about how tags work: Tag Your Data.
Step-by-step: Format Logistics hub: Average data
Step-by-step: Format Logistics hub: Average data
There are several ways to enter your data. Regardless of which method you choose, you must include all required information to ensure accurate emissions calculations. Below, we’ve listed the key data points you need to include.
Column A: start_date
The first day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column B: end_date
The last day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
It can be the same as the start date if you are entering data for just one day.
This field is mandatory.
Column C: location
The ISO-3166 alpha-2 code of the country where the logistics hub is located (e.g., DE).
This field is mandatory.
Column D: facility_name
The facility that the respective emissions should be allocated to.
Leave this column empty if you wish to calculate emissions on a company-level.
Make sure to apply exactly the same names you set in ‘Organisational Data’.
Column E: value
Enter the throughput (amount) of freight handled at the transport hub, measured as either mass (e.g., in tonnes), area (e.g., in square metres), or volume (e.g., in TEU).
Report this value based on the size of goods at the point of departure from the hub.
This field is mandatory.
Column F: value.unit
Select the measurement unit used.
Mass data related to liquid bulk terminals, storage and transshipment, transshipment, and warehousing can be provided in:
kg (kilograms)
t (metric tonnes)
ton (short tons)
lb (pounds)
For mass data related to the volume of maritime container terminals, choose from:
TEU (Average twenty-foot equivalent units)
Area data related to storage and transshipment, transshipment, and warehousing can be provided in:
m2 (square metres)
ft2 (square feet)
This field is mandatory.
Column G: usage_measurement
Please select if you are inputting mass or area data.
Choose from:
area
mass
This field is mandatory.
Column H: freight_type
Select 'logistic hubs'.
This helps aggregate your Scope 3 Category 9 emissions on your dashboards.
This field is mandatory.
Column I: hub_type
Hub type refers to the type of transport hub where goods are stored, distributed, or repacked. Select one of the following:
Transshipment: The transfer of goods from one transport vehicle to another, regardless of whether this involves a change in transport mode.
Storage and transshipment: The transfer of goods from one transport vehicle to storage facilities.
Warehouse: An area where goods were stored.
Liquid bulk terminals: A specialised area within a seaport for storing large quantities of liquids or liquefied gases and managing their transportation.
Maritime container terminals: A facility designed for loading, unloading, storing, and transferring shipping containers between transport modes.
This field is mandatory.
Column J: temperature_condition
Temperature condition refers to the environmental conditions under which goods are stored, handled, or transported at a hub.
The available options depend on the type of hub and the specific temperature requirements for the goods.
For data related to Liquid bulk terminals, choose from:
mixed
ambient (if above +8°C)
For data related to Maritime container terminals, choose from:
ambient (if above +8°C)
temperature_controlled
For area data related to Storage and transshipment, choose from:
ambient (if above +8°C)
chilled
mixed
frozen (<0°C for all products except food, <-18°C for food)
For mass data related to Storage and transshipment, choose from:
ambient (if above +8°C)
mixed
For data related to Transshipment, choose from:
ambient (if above +8°C)
mixed
For data related to Warehouse, choose from:
ambient (if above +8°C)
mixed
This field is mandatory.
Step-by-step: Format BYOE data
Step-by-step: Format BYOE data
There are several ways to enter your data. Regardless of which method you choose, you must include all required information to ensure accurate emissions calculations. Below, we’ve listed the key data points you need to include.
Column A: start_date
The first day of your data period.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column B: end_date
The last day of your data period. It can be the same as the start date if you are entering data for just one day.
The suggested date format is YYYY-MM-DD, but check the Accepted Formats article to see a full list of formats you can use.
This field is mandatory.
Column C: location
The ISO-3166 alpha-2 code of the country where the emissions occurred (e.g., DE).
This field is mandatory.
Column D: facility_name
The facility that the respective emissions should be allocated to.
Make sure to apply exactly the same names you set here to all the other templates asking for a "facility_name" input.
Column E: value
Your own emissions in kg CO₂e.
Numbers should be formatted using numeric values only and using a dot as the decimal separator (e.g. 25634.20).
This field is mandatory.
Optional tags
As always, you can add optional columns for company specific tags.
Learn more about how tags work: Tag Your Data.
Reminder: It is not Plan A’s responsibility to ensure the calculation of those 3rd parties are in accordance with the GHG Protocol. There is no verification or validation of BOYE emissions through Plan A.