Freight emissions API for shippers and brands
A brand's Scope 3 Category 4 number is the freight a forwarder ran on its behalf. CSRD and CDP both ask for it now. SBTi targets count on it. And auditors check the methodology and the tier of disclosure before they sign anything.
EcoFreight is built to give you that number per shipment, with the methodology cited (GLEC Framework v3.2) and the ISO 14083 data quality tier on every line. You call the API yourself or have your forwarder call it — either way, the disclosure rolls up the same way.
What CSRD assurance actually checks
The auditor isn't going to recalculate every shipment. They check four things: that you've named the framework, that the data quality tier is disclosed, that there's a re-runnable trail back to inputs, and that the breakdown is reported the way the directive expects.
Auditors expect the framework named: GLEC Framework v3.2 (Smart Freight Centre, October 2025). EcoFreight names it on every API response.
ISO 14083 sets out Tier 1 (default factors), Tier 2 (modeled/operator data), Tier 3 (primary fuel data). The tier is returned per line item and can be aggregated for disclosure footnotes.
Each response carries a stable calculation_id. Your auditor can ask for any line; you can replay the calc and produce the same number with the same inputs.
CSRD assurance often wants well-to-wheel reported as the headline, with tank-to-wheel and well-to-tank shown separately. All three come back in one call.
Connecting carrier data to your reporting
The tier you can claim on a shipment depends on the data you have. The same API call accepts whichever inputs you can supply — and returns the tier that the data justifies.
When you use it
You only know mode, distance, and weight.
What it means for disclosure
This is the floor — fine for high-level disclosure, less defensible if a single lane carries a lot of your inventory.
When you use it
Your forwarder gives you per-trade-lane intensities or your carrier supplies vessel-level numbers.
What it means for disclosure
Most CSRD-ready disclosures land here. Auditors are comfortable with Tier 2 for the bulk of inbound freight.
When you use it
You have measured fuel consumption — e.g. dedicated vessel charter, owned road fleet, IATA CO2 Connect for air.
What it means for disclosure
Best evidence. CDP scores you higher on data quality if your reported Scope 3 Cat 4 is Tier 3 weighted.
A worked example for a retail brand
A consumer brand imports roughly 50,000 TEUs/year across deep-sea ocean, short-sea, and inland road. Below is what their Scope 3 Cat 4 disclosure looks like at the line level, summed up at year-end.
| Mode | TEU-equivalent / yr | tCO2e (WTW) | Dominant tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep-sea container | 38,500 | 42,180 | Tier 2 | Carrier-supplied trade-lane intensities |
| Short-sea / feeder | 7,200 | 5,890 | Tier 1 | GLEC v3.2 default factor |
| Road (port → DC) | 4,300 | 3,140 | Tier 2 | Forwarder-supplied lane data |
| Scope 3 Cat 4 total | 50,000 | 51,210 | Tier-weighted | GLEC v3.2 across all rows |
Illustrative figures. Real disclosures use the API output directly, summed against your shipment ledger.