How to calculate your company's vehicle fleet emissions

What are vehicle fleet emissions?

Definition

Vehicle fleet emissions are emissions that emerge from burning fossil fuels in company-owned or operated vehicles used to transport people and materials. They consist of Scope 1 and 2 emissions, including well-to-tank emissions and tank-to-wheel emissions.

These emissions can come from various sources such as company vehicles or trucks, and mobile machinery (e.g. forklifts or construction equipment). Different vehicle types contribute to emissions in different ways:

Combustion engine vehicles: Emissions are categorised under Mobile Combustion (Scope 1).
Electric vehicles: Emissions are categorised under Purchased Electricity (Scope 2).
Hybrid vehicles: Emissions are split between Mobile Combustion (Scope 1) for fuel consumption and Purchased Electricity (Scope 2) for electrical consumption.

Accordingly, vehicle fleet emissions are most relevant to companies that use vehicles for moving people and materials – such as businesses within the transportation and logistics, or fleet industry. These companies are most likely to produce a greater volume of these emissions and need to manage and reduce these to achieve regulatory compliance and cost savings.

What calculation method is the most suited to your business?

There are four common methods to calculate vehicle fleet emissions. The table below provides a short overview and comparison of each:

Methods	Description	Required Data	Emission Factors Needed	Accuracy
Fuel-based	Calculates emissions by multiplying fuel consumption by corresponding emission factors, including electricity and refrigerants	Fuel quantities consumed Amount spent on fuel Average fuel cost Refrigerant leakage	Fuel emission factors (kg CO2e/liters) Electricity emission factors (kg CO2e/kWh) Refrigerant leakage factors (kg CO2e/kg)	Most accurate method as fuel consumption directly relates to emissions
Fuel from spend	Calculates fuel consumption by dividing total fuel spend by average fuel price	Total fuel spend Average fuel price	Same as fuel-based method	Less accurate than direct fuel-based but more accurate than distance-based
Distance-based	Calculates emissions based on mass of goods, distance travelled and specific emission factors per transport mode	Mass of goods Distance travelled Transport mode/vehicle type	Transport mode/vehicle specific emission factors (kg CO2e/tonne/km)	Less accurate than fuel-based methods
Spend-based	Uses economic input-output analysis to calculate emissions based on amount spent on transportation	Amount spent on transportation by type	EEIO emission factors (kg CO2e/$)	Least accurate as it relies on economic averages rather than actual transportation data

Step-by-step guide to calculating vehicle fleet emissions

Here's how to calculate vehicle fleet emissions using software such as Plan A’s Carbon Management Platform:

Assess available data:
- Consult with your fleet manager to determine what vehicle data is being tracked
- Check with Finance department for fuel consumption records
- Review if you have access to:
  - Fuel consumption data
  - Distance traveled records
  - Vehicle types and specifications
  - Mass transported (if applicable)

Businesses can leverage software to automate the calculation of vehichle fleet emission data stored in spreadsheets.

Choose calculation method:
- Select from available methods, listed in order of accuracy:
  - Fuel consumption (Recommended method)
  - Average fuel consumption with distance traveled
  - Distance and mass transported
  - Distance-based calculation

Exclusive Feature

Bring Your Own Emissions (BYOE) is a feature that allows users to upload their own pre-calculated emissions values to the platform. This data is usually based on intimate knowledge of the product, making them typically the most accurate emissions readings.

Calculate vehicle fleet emissions with Plan A software — Select from five available calculation methods on the platform. Credit: Plan A

Collect and upload required data

For fuel consumption method:
- Record start and end dates
- Gather fuel type information
- Collect fuel consumption data from fuel cards and receipts

For distance-based methods:
- Record odometer readings
- Document vehicle types and fuel types
- Track mass transported (if using that method)
- Obtain vehicle fuel efficiency data from manuals or specifications

Automatically upload your vehicle emissions data with Plan A software — Seamlessly upload your data and let the platform do the rest. Credit: Plan A

Consider data quality:
- Always strive to use the most accurate "Recommended" method when possible
- Balance data availability with accuracy requirements
- Plan for future improvements in data collection if currently unable to use recommended method

Calculate emissions:

To avoid the extensive time it takes to manually calculate emissions, utilise certified carbon accounting software such as Plan A’s Carbon Management Platform to calculate your carbon footprint from your company’s vehicle fleet emissions.
Plan A’s software enables you to visualise these emissions in an easy-to-navigate and customisable dashboard – with a certified methodology that allows you to explore your data and make informed decisions with confidence.

Measure your vehicle emissions data with Plan A software — Leverage intuitive visualisations and flexible dashboards to pinpoint emissions hotspots and drive change. Credit: Plan A

Set targets and reduce emissions‍

Leverage Plan A’s predefined and custom action cards to efficiently reduce your company's vehicle fleet emissions.

Reduce your vehicle emissions data with Plan A software — Leverage action cards crafted by Plan A's in-house decarbonisation experts to save on your emissions and costs. Credit: Plan A

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Schedule a call with Plan A to learn how our best-in-class carbon accounting software can streamline your vehicle fleet emissions calculations.