Smart Freight Centre India unveils GLEC to streamline freight emissions tracking

In a major step toward boosting emissions accountability and sustainability in India’s freight and logistics sector, Smart Freight Centre (SFC) India has unveiled the India-specific Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) values at Smart Freight Week 2025.

Developed in collaboration with the TCI-IIMB Supply Chain Sustainability Lab at IIM Bangalore, this initiative aligns with global best practices in GHG emissions tracking while catering to India’s unique logistics landscape.

The GLEC Framework, recognized as the leading global methodology for freight transport emissions accounting, serves as a comprehensive guide for shippers, carriers, and logistics service providers.

Commenting on this milestone, Christoph Wolff, CEO of Smart Freight Centre, said, “By providing localized data that reflects India’s unique transport dynamics, we empower businesses to make informed decisions that contribute to a more sustainable future. This initiative is a testament to Smart Freight Centre’s commitment to enabling universal and harmonized freight emissions accounting.”

Freight transport forms the backbone of today’s global economy. Forward-thinking companies are increasingly focusing on controlling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their logistics supply chain—not only due to expectations from customers, governments, and investors but also because of the tangible business benefits associated with carbon accounting and reduction.

Vijay Jaiswal, Director, SFC India, added, “This initiative bridges the gap between global frameworks and local industry needs, ensuring emissions transparency and paving the way for a greener, more accountable logistics ecosystem in India.”

Until now, comparing emissions across different modes of transport was challenging due to the existence of multiple methodologies. The development of India-specific GLEC values adheres to ISO 14083 standards and integrates methodologies from key global frameworks, ensuring credibility and applicability to assist businesses in accurately measuring their logistics emissions.

Dr. Aditya Gupta, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Supply Chain Management Centre, TCI-IIMB (Supply Chain Sustainability Lab), said, “The development of accurate transportation emission factors and a measurement tool for India has been a critical milestone in India’s transportation decarbonization journey. We’re proud to have partnered with Smart Freight Centre (SFC) in this endeavor.”

Sharif Qamar, Associate Director, Transport and Urban Governance, TERI, added, “GLEC India value is an advancement in the emission accounting framework and would give focus to an India-specific focus. It fills a big gap that has existed for a long time and is in line with the demand from the industries and regulators.”

The initiative is expected to drive a paradigm shift in India’s freight emissions management by encouraging companies to adopt more efficient and environmentally responsible logistics practices.

With increased accountability and reliable data, stakeholders across the supply chain are now better equipped to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to India’s broader sustainability commitments.