Measurement of carbon emissions

A Progress Report on the Measurement of European Freight Transport Emissions

Article

Opinion piece for the European University Institute (2021)

This short article takes stock of the progress made in the measurement and reporting of carbon emissions from European freight movements over the past 15 years and reflects on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for freight carbon accounting.  It summarises a presentation that I gave to a Forum on 'European Green Cargo Operations' ... ...

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Science Based Targeting in the Logistics Sector

Paper

Discussion paper (2020)

This paper examines the Science Based Targeting Initiative. This was established to help companies align their carbon reduction targets with the climate science and achieve absolute reductions in their carbon emissions consistent with the goal of keeping the increase in average global temperature by 2100 within limits agreed in the 2015 Paris Accord.  ...

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Setting targets for reducing carbon emissions from logistics: current practice and guiding principles

Paper

McKinnon, A.C. and Piecyk, M. I. Carbon Management, 3, 6, 629-639 (2012)

This article examines the different approaches that companies can take to setting targets for the reduction of carbon emissions from their logistics operations. The research suggests that target-setting practices differ widely in this field. It is common for firms simply to apply corporate-level targets to logistics, despite the fact that carbon abatement potential and cost–effectiveness vary by function and activity. ...

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Measuring carbon emissions from supply chains: getting the level right

Chapter

McKinnon, A.C., in Outlook on the Logistics and Supply Chain Industry 2012, World Economic Forum (2012)

This article argues carbon auditing supply chains at a product level is impractical and would be unlikely to induce much of a shift to lower carbon consumption. It extends the argument advanced in my 2010 IJPDLM paper on product-level carbon auditing of supply chains.   The ...

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Comparative carbon auditing of conventional and online retail supply chains: a review of methodological issues

Paper

Edwards, J.B., McKinnon, A.C. and Cullinane. S., Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 16, 1, 57-63 (2011)

This paper breaks online and conventional retail supply chains into several nodes and links to assess their relative environmental impacts. It highlights some of the difficulties in establishing a robust methodology for comparing the carbon footprints of online and conventional retailing, mainly associated with boundary issues, utilisation factors and carbon allocation. ...

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Product-level Carbon Auditing of Supply Chains: Environmental Imperative or Wasteful Distraction?

Paper

McKinnon, A.C., International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, 40, 1, 42-60 (2010)

Interest in product‐level carbon auditing and labelling has been growing in both business and government circles. This paper examines the practical problems and costs associated with highly disaggregated analyses of greenhouse gas emissions from supply chains. It then weighs these problems and costs against the potential benefits of the carbon labelling of products. ...

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Measuring and Managing CO2 Emissions in European Chemical Transport

Report

McKinnon, A.C. and Piecyk, M., Measuring and Managing CO2 Emissions in European Chemical Transport Cefic, Brussels (2010)

This report was commissioned by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) to provide advice to chemical companies on the carbon footprinting of their transport operations. It discusses the methodological options and potential sources of emission factor data for the broad range of transport modes used for the movement of chemicals. ...

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Measurement of CO2 Emissions from Road Freight Transport: A Review of UK Experience

Paper

McKinnon, A.C. and Piecyk, M., Energy Policy, 37, 10, 3733-3742 (2009)

It is possible to estimate CO2 emissions from road freight transport in different ways, depending on the definition of trucking activity, the degree of reliance on survey, vehicle test-cycle and traffic count data and the geographical scope of the calculation. The emergence of differing road freight-related CO2 estimates from official ... ...

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