A method for assessing the carbon footprint of maritime freight transport: European case study and results

Abstract

This paper proposes a method for the calculation of the carbon footprint of international supply chains, focusing on the maritime sector. Using data from a survey of major companies comparing more than 25 import supply chains involving UK, France and Belgium, the main shipping characteristics were identified. This approach enabled a comparison to be made between each supply chain segment, expressed in grams of oil equivalent per kilogramme of product and grammes of CO₂ equivalent per kilogramme of product. On one of the longest trips for imports from the southern hemisphere, a potential reduction of up to 20% in energy use was identified by considering the use of different vessels and routes. The approach adopted has limitations due to the limited number of supply chains for which it was possible to collect complete data from origin to destination. Therefore only typical international maritime routes, common products, major container lines and vessels of average size have been considered.

Keywords:

• carbon footprint
• maritime supply chain
• survey method
• carbon reduction potential