Logistics methodology

At Lune, we adhere to the highest standards for emission calculations, ensuring full transparency and accuracy for every leg of your shipment’s journey. Our methodology aligns with the GLEC Framework, a globally recognised standard for logistics emissions estimates. Our approach has been audited and accredited by the Smart Freight Centre and is ISO 14083 compliant, delivering reliable results you can trust.This document provides a detailed overview of how Lune applies these standards to deliver emissions estimates for you and your customers.

How to use this document

To get the most out of this methodology guide, we recommend a basic understanding of concepts such as emission factors and CO₂e.

Section 1: OverviewUnderstand the core parameters that underpin Lune’s emissions calculations, applicable across all transport methods.
Section 2: Transport methodsLearn how emissions are calculated for specific methods of transport.
Section 3: Additional featuresDiscover optional parameters and customisations to further improve calculation accuracy.

If you have any questions, or require further clarification, please get in touch ([email protected])!

1. Overview of Lune’s calculation model

Lune calculates emissions using three key inputs:

Transport method
Distance
Weight

The transport method, and associated conditions, are used to determine the emission factor. The distance refers to the total kilometres travelled by the shipment. Finally, the weight is the weight of the cargo for the shipment. With the three inputs, we're able to use the following formula to calculate the emission estimate for the shipment.Emission factor (from the transport method) × Distance travelled × Cargo weight

1.1 Emission factor (from the transport method)

Transport method (rail, sea, air, or road) is the primary determinant of the emission factor (EF). Additional conditions such as fuel type, vehicle configuration, and load factors further refine the appropriate emission factor for your calculation. Together these inputs help determine the best emission factor to use for the calculation.Lune selects the most suitable emission factor for each calculation based on the GLEC Framework and data provided. Where primary data is unavailable, we apply modelled data, followed by industry averages for the selected transport method.Lune conducts a thorough review of emission factors each quarter to ensure all data remains up to date and accurate.

1.2 Distance travelled

Distance can be directly provided (in kilometres or miles), or calculated using source and destination data. This data can be provided as:

Address
Geo-coordinates
UN/LOCODE (ports)
IATA/ICAO code (airports)

Lune applies tailored distance calculation algorithms to ensure accuracy. Each algorithm used is documented in the relevant transport method sections below.

1.3 Cargo weight

Cargo weight can be provided to Lune in two ways:

By mass in tonnes, kilogrammes, or grams
By number of containers in TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units)

For containerized cargo, users can specify cargo types (for example, lightweight, average, heavyweight, or container only).Depending on the unit of the EF, and the categorisation of the cargo type, Lune may convert the weight between TEU and mass. If a cargo type is not chosen, the average rate will be used.When both mass and number of containers are provided, Lune prioritises the value that requires no conversion.

Cargo type	Mass (in tonnes)
Heavyweight	14.5
Average	10
Lightweight	6
Container only	2

2. Transport methods

In the following sections, we break down the calculation by transport method (maritime, air, rail, road, inland waterway).

2.1 Maritime

Lune provides three calculation methods for maritime transport, depending on the granularity of the data available.

2.1.1 Vessels with a known IMO number or name

The Lune database currently houses over 16,000 vessels. Vessels can be identified by:

International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number.
Name of vessel.
MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) number.
Date and port locations for departure and arrival, along with carrier name.

Determining the EF	Determining the distance travelled	Determining the cargo weight
Lune matches vessels by IMO number or name to the correct emission factor from the EMSA database.If no match is found, an industry average EF is applied. Trade lane averages are favoured over general averages.	Lune uses AIS (Automatic Identification System) tracking to determine the route of an identified vessel. Lune uses both satellite and terrestrial AIS.For past shipments, we use historical AIS data; for future shipments, we reference carrier schedules.If the route cannot be determined using AIS tracking or carrier schedules, distances are calculated using Lune’s sea distance algorithm, based on Distances Between Ports (Pub. 151), with a 15% margin adjustment according to GLEC guidance.	Directly derived from the data provided, either in tonnes, kilogrammes, or containers as explained in the cargo weight section above.

2.1.2 Container ships

Determining the EF	Determining the distance travelled	Determining the cargo weight
Using the industry average container ship EFs.Trade lanes can be provided to improve precision and accuracy, in an aggregated (e.g. Panama Trade) or disaggregated (e.g. Asia to North Europe) format.If no trade lane is provided, Lune will attempt to infer one given the source and destination. If unsuccessful, a default industry average EF is applied.Users may also specify if containers are refrigerated, affecting EF selection.	Utilising the distance provided, or derived from the origin and destination data to determine the ports.Distances are calculated using Lune’s sea distance algorithm, based on Distances Between Ports (Pub. 151), with a 15% margin adjustment according to GLEC guidance.	Derived from container counts and cargo categorisation, if available.

2.1.3 Other ocean cargo

Determining the EF	Determining the distance travelled	Determining the cargo weight
The emission factor is chosen based on available data about vessel type, size, cargo load, and fuel type.The data is mapped to an appropriate emission factor given the available options in the GLEC framework. See below for the available options.	Utilising the distance provided, or derived from the origin and destination data to determine the ports.Distances are calculated using Lune’s sea distance algorithm, based on Distances Between Ports (Pub. 151), with a 15% margin adjustment according to GLEC guidance.	Directly derived from the data provided, either in tonnes, kilogrammes, or containers as explained in the cargo weight section above.

The GLEC framework outlines the following options for vessel type, size, cargo load, and fuel type. Depending on what data is provided, the most appropriate emission factor will be selected for calculation.Vessel types:

General
Cargo
Bulk carrier
Oil tanker
RoRo
RoPax

Vessel size options:Small, medium, large, given their deadweight tonnage.Cargo load options:Can range from light, to heavy depending on the vessel load factor.Fuel types:Lune supports HFO, VLSFO, MGO, LNG, and more.

2.2 Air

To calculate air transport emissions, Lune offers two different methods, depending on the data you have available.

2.2.1 Known flight details

Using the flight number along with the source and destination airports, Lune can leverage reported emissions data specific to the aircraft model and route. This allows us to calculate emissions for both shipments and transhipments.To identify flight information, Lune integrates with AirNavRadar.

Determining the EF	Determining the distance travelled	Determining the cargo weight
The emission factor is chosen based on data from AirNavRadar about the aircraft type involved.	Using AirNavRadar, Lune can accurately infer the exact flight leg(s), and route. By identifying the precise route, we ensure that any intermediate stops are accounted for, applying adjustments as recommended by the GLEC Framework.Lune calculates the distance between flight legs using Great Circle Distance.	Directly derived from the data provided, either in tonnes or kilogrammes as explained in the cargo weight section above.

For known flights, we enhance the typical emissions calculation of:Emission factor × Distance travelled × Cargo weightby aligning it with actual fuel consumption data. The adjusted formula becomes:Fuel emission factor × Fuel consumed by flight × Shipment share of fuel

Determining the fuel emission factor	Determining the fuel consumed by flight	Determining the shipment share of fuel
Once flight-specific fuel data is retrieved, the emissions factor (EF) for the fuel is determined using IATA data, which specifies emissions per unit of fuel.	Knowing the aircraft model and route, Lune calculates total fuel consumption for the flight based on the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) Tier 3 methodology. This accounts for landing and take-off (LTO) cycles as well as climb, cruise, and descent (CCD) phases.	To determine the fuel consumption allocated to the shipment, we consider the aircraft’s total capacity and the flight’s load factor.Lune calculates total aircraft capacity based on the model and configuration (cargo or belly-freight). As recommended by GLEC and ISO, we convert each passenger into the equivalent of 100 kg of cargo mass, then sum both passenger and cargo capacity to determine total available capacity.Load factors are sourced directly from GLEC and are determined by the actual distance flown and aircraft configuration.

If the flight number is unavailable but the aircraft model is provided, we can perform all relevant calculations except those that depend on the exact flight path. In these cases, we apply industry averages for the aircraft model to maintain as much precision as possible.If neither the flight nor aircraft model can be identified, we use fallback calculations based on generic flight data.

2.2.2 Generic flight

Determining the EF	Determining the distance travelled	Determining the cargo weight
Lune applies the GLEC Framework, which follows the IATA RP1678 methodology. The emission factor is based on both flight length and aircraft type (see below).	Lune calculates the distance between the origin and destination airports using Great Circle Distance.	Directly derived from the data provided, either in tonnes or kilogrammes as explained in the cargo weight section above.

The GLEC framework outlines the following options for flight length and aircraft type. Depending on what data is provided, the most appropriate emission factor will be selected for calculation.Flight lengths:

Short haul: less than or equal to 1,500 km
Long haul: more than 1,500 km

Aircraft types:

Cargo plane (freighter)
Passenger plane (belly freight)
Unknown aircraft type (uses a weighted average of cargo and passenger aircraft data)

2.3 Rail

Lune offers emissions calculations for rail freight, distinguishing between diesel-powered and electric-powered trains. The calculation method depends on both the rail energy source and available shipment data.

2.3.1 Diesel trains

Determining the EF	Determining the distance travelled	Determining the cargo weight
Lune applies regional emission factors for diesel trains, including North American and European averages.Where available, load characteristics are used to map to more specific EFs per the GLEC Framework.EU emission factors can be applied globally if region-specific data is unavailable.	Distances are calculated using Google Maps routing engine.In very rare cases, if Google Maps routing is unavailable, we use the Great Circle Distance method as a fallback.	Directly derived from the data provided, either in tonnes, kilogrammes, or containers as explained in the cargo weight section above.

The GLEC framework outlines the following options for load characteristics for European trains. Depending on what data is provided, the most appropriate emission factor will be selected for calculation.Supported load characteristics:

Average load
Containers
Trains carrying cars, chemicals, coal, steel, building materials, manufactured products, or cereals
Truck and trailer, or trailer only

2.3.2 Electric trains

Determining the EF	Determining the distance travelled	Determining the cargo weight
Calculated by multiplying the country’s electricity grid emission factor (coal, gas, oil mix) by the average electricity consumption per train kilometre travelled.The electricity grid emission factor is sourced from Ember, while the average electricity consumption is defined by the GLEC Framework.	Distances are calculated using Google Maps routing engine.In very rare cases, if Google Maps routing is unavailable, we use the Great Circle Distance method as a fallback.	Directly derived from the data provided, either in tonnes, kilogrammes, or containers as explained in the cargo weight section above.

2.4 Road

Lune calculates road freight emissions using vehicle-specific emission factors and regional defaults aligned with the GLEC Framework. There are two available methods for road transport calculations. The first uses available data about vehicle type, fuel, and load factors. The second allows for a more granular calculation, taking into account properties such as traffic conditions, and road gradients.

2.4.1 Vehicle details

Determining the EF	Determining the distance travelled	Determining the cargo weight
Regional EFs are selected based on vehicle type, size, fuel type, and cargo load. By default, Lune assumes diesel fuel with industry-average load factors and empty running figures, adjusted per truck type and size, based on the GLEC Framework. Supported regions include Europe, Africa, North America, South America, and Asia, with European EFs applied to all other regions.	Distances are calculated using Mapbox’s routing engine.In very rare cases, if Mapbox routing is unavailable, we use the Great Circle Distance method as a fallback.	Directly derived from the data provided, either in tonnes, kilogrammes, or containers as explained in the cargo weight section above.

The GLEC framework outlines the following options for vehicle type/size, cargo load, and fuel type. Depending on what data is provided, the most appropriate emission factor will be selected for calculation.Vehicle types for Europe, APAC, Africa, South America:

Generic van (less than 3.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Weight)
Generic urban (3.5–7.5 tonnes GVW)
Generic MGV (7.5–20 tonnes GVW)
Generic HGV (above 20 tonnes GVW)
Rigid truck: 7.5t / 12t / 20t / 26t / 32t
Articulated truck: 34t / 40t / 44t / 60t / 72t

Vehicle types for North America:

Van (<3.5t)
General truck
Auto Carrier
Dray
Expedited
Flatbed
Heavy Bulk
LTL / Dry Van
TL / Dry Van
Mixed
Moving
Package
Refrigerated
Specialized
Tanker

Cargo load options:The default is to use industry average load factor and empty running figures, which differ depending on truck type and size. For some trucks, users can also specify load: light, heavy, container.Fuel types:The default assumption is diesel fuel. For some truck and van types, Lune also supports petrol, CNG, LPG, LNG, biofuel blends, and electric.

2.4.2 Vehicle and environmental details

When additional details about the environment and vehicle are available, we are able to enhance the specificity of the emission factor, by aligning it with energy consumption data. The emission factor formula becomes:Fuel emission factor × Vehicle energy consumption

Determining the EF	Determining the distance travelled	Determining the cargo weight
The energy consumption of the vehicle is determined by vehicle type, load factor, empty runs, the vehicle’s net capacity, traffic condition, and road gradient.The energy consumption is multiplied by the emission factor of the fuel used for the vehicle. This creates a more precise and accurate emission factor.	Distances are calculated using Mapbox’s routing engine.In very rare cases, if Mapbox routing is unavailable, we use the Great Circle Distance method as a fallback.	Directly derived from the data provided, either in tonnes, kilogrammes, or containers as explained in the cargo weight section above.

The vehicle type options available are the same as those in section 2.4.1. For environmental data, we recommend providing the data that represents the majority of the leg.Supported traffic conditions:

Urban free flow within a city
Urban free flow on a motorway
Rural free flow on a motorway
Urban heavy traffic within a city
Urban stop and go traffic within a city

Road gradients options:

Flat
Hilly
Mountainous

Load factors and empty runs:This data is a fraction that measures how fully a vehicle is utilising its cargo capacity, and the proportion of a vehicle's travel that occurs without carrying any cargo, respectively. When not provided, industry averages are used.Supported fuels:

Gasoline
Diesel
LPG
CNG
Ethanol (from corn)
HVO (from tallow)
99% diesel, 1% biodiesel
98% diesel, 2% biodiesel
95% diesel, 5% biodiesel
93% diesel, 7% biodiesel
90% diesel, 10% biodiesel
80% diesel, 20% biodiesel
50% diesel, 50% biodiesel

2.5 Inland waterways

Determining the EF	Determining the distance travelled	Determining the cargo weight
To calculate inland waterway transport emissions, we use emission factors based on the vessel type, and size.	Distances are calculated using Mapbox’s routing engine.In very rare cases, if Mapbox routing is unavailable, we use the Great Circle Distance method as a fallback.	Directly derived from the data provided, either in tonnes, kilogrammes, or containers as explained in the cargo weight section above.

The GLEC framework outlines the following options for vessel type and size. Depending on what data is provided, the most appropriate emission factor will be selected for calculation.Vessel types:

Motor vessels
Coupled convoys
Pushed convoys
Tanker vessels
Container vessels

Vessel size options:Vessel sizes vary by vessel type. For instance, motor vessels are classified as small (under 80m or 1,000t), medium (85–110m or 1,000–2,000t), or large (135m or 2,000–3,000t), based on length and deadweight tonnage. For push convoys, size is determined by the number of barges: small with 2 barges, medium with 4–5, and large with 6 barges.

2.6 Logistic sites

Along with transport methods, Lune is able to calculate emissions for logistics sites such as warehouses and maritime container terminals. We select emission factors for the logistics sites based on the type of site it is and the temperature the site is most regularly kept at.Supported logistics sites:

Maritime Container Terminal
Transhipment Site
Storage and transhipment site
Warehouse

Temperature options:

Ambient temperature
Chilled
Mixed

3. Additional features

Lune offers several additional features to improve the accuracy, granularity, and reporting capabilities of emissions calculations. In this section, we will provide the methodology and calculations behind these features.

Road transfer inference: Automatically identifies and accounts for missing road segments in multimodal shipments when incomplete location data is provided.
Disaggregated emissions: Provides emissions breakdowns by lifecycle stage (Well-to-Tank and Tank-to-Wheel) and pollutant type.

3.1 Road transfer inference

Lune’s road transfer inference feature analyses the source and destination locations provided by the client to assess their suitability for the selected transport method. This feature only applies when the transport method identified is sea, air, or rail.If either the source or destination provided does not correspond to the relevant transport hub for the method chosen (an airport, sea port, or rail station), Lune will correct the locations, and calculate emissions accordingly.For example, if air transport is selected but the source location is 100 km from the nearest airport, Lune will infer an appropriate road leg to bridge that gap.Depending on the distance between the provided location and the closest relevant port, one of the following actions is taken:

Within 10 km: The location is assumed to be a data input error and is automatically adjusted to the nearest relevant port.
Between 10 km and 500 km: A road leg is added to the shipment, representing the inferred transfer from the location to the port. This leg is calculated as a diesel truck shipment.
Over 500 km: The road inference feature is not applied. Emissions are calculated using the input data as provided, without modification.

3.2 Disaggregated emissions

Lune calculates emissions disaggregation for greater reporting transparency. These include:

Well-to-Wheel (WTW) breakdowns
Pollutant-level emissions

3.2.1 Well to Wheel

Lune reports emissions in tonnes of CO₂e, including a break down of emissions into two lifecycle stages:

Well-to-Tank (WTT): Emissions from fuel production and distribution.
Tank-to-Wheel (TTW): Emissions from actual fuel combustion during transport.

The calculation follows this model:Fuel consumption × lifecycle stage ratio (WTT or TTW)Fuel consumption is estimated using average values for the most common vehicle type per transport method, expressed per kilometre, and multiplied by the total distance travelled.The chart below identifies the data sources used for each transport method:

Transport method	Fuel consumption source	WTT ratio source	TTW ratio source
Sea	Average container ship (IMO)	GLEC	GLEC
Air	Average aircraft using jet fuel (GLEC)	GLEC	GLEC
Road	Average 40t articulated diesel trucks (GLEC)	GLEC	GLEC
Diesel trains	Freight train averages across regions (GLEC)	GLEC	GLEC
Electric vehicles (including trains)	Average fuel consumption in energy generation across regions (GLEC)	GLEC	Not applicable
Inland waterways	Average diesel barge (GLEC)	GLEC	GLEC

3.2.2 Pollutant contributions

In addition to CO₂e estimates, Lune supports pollutant-specific emissions reporting for logistics. Since these gases, apart from carbon dioxide, cannot be converted to CO₂e, they are not included in the CO₂e estimate.Lune supports emission reporting for the following pollutants:

Nitrous oxide (NOx)
Sulfur oxide (SO₂)
Particulate matter (PM)
Non methane hydro carbons (NMHC)
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

The calculation of pollutants follows this model:Fuel consumption × emissions factors for each pollutantFuel consumption is estimated using average values for the most common vehicle type per transport method, expressed per kilometre, and multiplied by the total distance travelled.The chart below identifies the data sources used for each transport method:

Transport method	Fuel consumption source	Emissions dataset
Sea	Heavy marine fuel based on average container ship profile (EMSA)	EEA/EMEP
Road	Diesel 40T articulated truck or diesel van for smaller shipments (HBEFA)	EEA/EMEP
Diesel trains	Freight train averages across regions (FREIGHT RAIL)	EEA/EMEP
Electric trains/vehicles	Electricity use per 10 km (GLEC); fuel consumption in generating electricity from EMBER 2023	EEA/EMEP
Air	Average aircraft using jet fuel (CLECAT)	GLEC
Inland waterway	Average barge using diesel fuel (GLEC)	GREET/EEA/EMEP