Net-zero strategy for
logistics and haulage.
Fleet emissions dominate your carbon footprint. Customers are demanding supplier carbon data. Clean Air Zones are restricting vehicle access. SBS delivers GHG Protocol aligned fleet carbon reporting, SECR compliance and fuel-switching strategy tailored to the operational realities of road freight, warehousing and distribution.
Logistics faces a fleet decarbonisation challenge that is both urgent and complex
No sector has a clearer and more dominant emission source than road freight and logistics. Diesel combustion in owned, leased and operated vehicles typically represents the vast majority of a haulage business's carbon footprint. Measuring it is relatively straightforward. The challenge is building a credible, commercially viable pathway to reduce it — and being able to demonstrate that pathway to customers, regulators and investors.
SBS works from a GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1 aligned methodology adapted to logistics and haulage operations: vehicle-level fuel consumption data, distance and weight-based freight emission factors, warehouse energy consumption, and Scope 3 Category 4 downstream transportation. We produce reporting that satisfies SECR requirements, responds to customer freight carbon requests and provides the strategic foundation for fleet electrification or alternative fuel transition planning.
Mandatory, voluntary and emerging requirements
Understanding which frameworks apply to your logistics business, and when, is the first step to a compliant and commercially competitive carbon strategy.
SECR — Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting
Applies to logistics and haulage businesses meeting two of three size thresholds: 250 employees, £36m turnover, £18m balance sheet. Annual reporting of fleet fuel consumption, Scope 1 and 2 emissions and energy use required in company accounts.
SECR compliance →ESOS Phase 3 — Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme
Large logistics businesses are in scope for ESOS. Phase 3 was due December 2023. The energy audit must cover transport operations as well as buildings, and the Environment Agency must be notified. Enforcement action is increasing.
ESOS compliance support →Clean Air Zone vehicle compliance
Clean Air Zone access restrictions apply in Birmingham, Bath, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield and London. Understanding vehicle compliance status, cost of non-compliance and the carbon implications of accelerated fleet transition is essential.
CAZ planning support →GHG Protocol and GLEC Framework
SBS aligns fleet carbon reporting to GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and the Global Logistics Emission Council (GLEC) Framework — the recognised standard for freight emission calculation used by major retailers and logistics customers.
Our methodology →SBTi — Science Based Targets
Increasingly required by major retail and manufacturing customers. Setting a credible science-based target demonstrates ambition beyond compliance and is a growing differentiator in logistics tender processes.
Target-setting support →ISO 14064-1 Aligned Reporting
Fleet-level and corporate carbon footprints aligned to ISO 14064-1. Prepared for third-party verification to ISO 14064-3. Increasingly required by public sector logistics contracts and major retail accounts.
Our accreditations →UK SRS / IFRS S1 & S2
Large logistics operators will face mandatory UK Sustainability Reporting Standards from 2026. Climate risk disclosure for fleet-dependent businesses — including transition risk from vehicle electrification — will be a key reporting requirement.
Prepare early →Customer freight emission reporting (ISO 14083)
Major retailers, OEMs and public sector logistics customers are beginning to require shipment-level carbon data from haulage contractors, using the GLEC Framework and ISO 14083 as the recognised calculation standard.
Freight carbon data →EV and hydrogen fleet transition planning
The 2035 diesel HGV phase-out creates a firm planning horizon. Businesses that model transition scenarios now — including grid connection requirements, depot charging infrastructure and total cost of ownership — will be better positioned for competitive fleet renewal.
Fleet transition planning →The SBS Net-Zero Program, adapted for logistics
Every SBS engagement starts from the same GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1 aligned foundation, then adapts to your sector's specific emission sources, reporting requirements and operational realities.
The SBS Net-Zero Program: your dedicated Sustainability Team
We embed into your business as a retained Sustainability Team, not a one-off report provider. For logistics clients, this means ongoing support through annual reporting cycles, customer data requests and fleet transition planning.
Fleet transition is inevitable. The question is when and how
The 2035 HGV zero-emission mandate creates a firm planning horizon. For logistics businesses with fleets of 10, 50 or 500 vehicles, the decisions being made now about vehicle procurement, depot infrastructure and fuel contracts will determine the carbon trajectory and financial position of the business for the next decade.
SBS helps logistics businesses model the transition options, understand the carbon and commercial implications, and build a credible, fundable decarbonisation plan that works with your replacement cycle rather than against it.
Built for the full range of logistics and haulage businesses
From owner-operators and regional hauliers to national distribution networks and specialist cold chain operators. Each has distinct fleet profiles, customer obligations and decarbonisation challenges.
HGV operators needing SECR compliance, fleet carbon measurement and a credible decarbonisation plan for customer questionnaires and framework bids.
Refrigerated transport operators with additional refrigerant and temperature control emissions. GLEC Framework freight carbon calculation increasingly required by food retailers.
Parcel, courier and urban delivery businesses facing CAZ restrictions, retailer sustainability requirements and pressure to electrify lighter vehicle fleets ahead of zero-emission mandates.
Third-party logistics providers managing multiple client contracts needing to report freight carbon by customer, contract and commodity type using GLEC or GHG Protocol Category 4 methodology.
Businesses combining road, rail and sea freight needing a consistent emission calculation methodology across modes using GHG Protocol and ISO 14083 freight transport standards.
Warehouse-only or predominantly warehouse operations with high Scope 2 energy consumption, materials handling equipment emissions and complex supply chain Scope 3 boundaries.
Questions from logistics and haulage businesses
Not sure where your SECR obligations stand or how to respond to customer carbon data requests? Book a free call for a direct, no-jargon answer specific to your fleet and business.
Book a free call →Carbon reporting that works as hard as your fleet does
Book a free 30-minute call. We will review your SECR position, assess your fleet carbon data and outline a decarbonisation pathway that works commercially for your business.
