Carbon Calculator: The Right Decisions Start With the Right Data
21 May 2025
What exactly does sustainability mean to businesses today? The very weight of this word has quickly evolved from a simple buzzword into a veritable licence to operate. In fact, 82% of companies now say that climate action is very important for their business1 and 67% of routine e-shoppers expect companies to be environmentally responsible2. In order to make real measurable progress, however, everyone, businesses and customers included, need to ensure that we are accurately taking into account our environmental impact.
Why are carbon calculations an intricate challenge when it comes to shipping?
A staggering 75% of shippers’ emissions fall under Scope 3 (indirect emissions)3, which includes the entire supply-chain, and all services used. Unfortunately, shippers don’t have immediate access to this data, making it difficult to measure their true carbon footprint and identify areas for significant reduction. To solve this challenge, not only is accurate Scope 3 data from transport providers crucial, but transparent communication with customers is also essential.
How can we address these challenges?
As we work towards raising the bar in sustainable delivery, we set out to address these challenges through a series of smart collaborations and partnerships with key customers as well as internal Sustainability, Operations, Marketing and IT teams.
Together, we developed our own Carbon Calculator, a digital tool to provide our customers with a greater level of visibility. Accredited by Smart Freight Centre, the renowned non-profit organisation working to decarbonise freight transport, the Geopost Carbon Calculator empowers shippers to accurately quantify, compare, understand and report their carbon footprint, guiding them towards more precise carbon management and reduction strategies.
How the Geopost Carbon Calculator works?
In short, the Carbon Calculator simplifies a complex process, providing solid data that customers can rely on to inform their carbon management strategies and reporting process. This innovative system, developed with our partners, leverages scan events to precisely track parcels throughout the Geopost network, giving businesses a clear picture of their specific shipment emissions within the Geopost network – a game-changer for tackling indirect emissions. With an additional nod to sustainability, we made sure the Carbon Calculator strictly adheres to the latest carbon accounting standards.
The data is shared via in-depth reports and a personalised carbon dashboard, which not only offers an overview of absolute emissions, but also breaks down the data by parcel, transport chain and destination country. The dashboard also flags key indicators including low-emission vehicle usage and logistics data (weight, distance, etc.).
The personalised dashboard features an overview as well as a break-down of the data by parcel, transport chain and destination country.
The latest in a long line of innovations
Working alongside our customers we made sure the Carbon Calculator passed a rigorous in-house trial stage before rolling-it out. We launched our Carbon Calculator in 2023 and it is available in 20 businesses across the Geopost network via an online dashboard or through regular reports. Today this tool allows our customers a more accurate solution to track their progress over time, identify areas for optimisation and provides a greater level of transparency.
Our Carbon Calculator is just the latest in a long line of innovations that help shippers establish solid carbon accounting practices ౼ a crucial step towards sustainable decision making and a more sustainable future.
Keep an eye out for the upcoming 2024 Sustainability Report!
Sources:
- Geopost e-shopper barometer
- Voice of the industry: Sustainability survey, Jan 2022
- 2024 CDP Technical Note: Relevance of Scope 3 Categories by Sector