Freight CO₂e following the GLEC Framework and ISO 14083
If you report freight emissions you'll meet both names. They aren't alternatives: ISO 14083 is the standard, and the GLEC Framework is guidance for applying it.
ISO 14083:2023, *Greenhouse gases — Quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions arising from transport chain operations*, published in March 2023. It "establishes a common methodology for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions" from moving goods and people, and replaced IWA 16:2015.
It sets the rules: count well-to-wheel (fuel use plus producing the fuel), split a trip into transport chain elements, include hub operations such as terminals and warehouses, and prefer measured data over models and models over defaults. It doesn't prescribe one set of emission factors; you report which sources you used.
The Global Logistics Emissions Council Framework, published by Smart Freight Centre. The current edition, v3.3, came out in October 2026 and is aligned with ISO 14083.
It turns the rules into practice for each mode: which distance to use and how to adjust it, default emission intensities and loads, worked examples, and a module on air pollutants (Module 6, outside ISO 14083's greenhouse gas scope).
| ISO 14083 | GLEC Framework | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | International standard | Guidance to apply it |
| Published by | ISO | Smart Freight Centre |
| Current edition | 2023 | v3.3 (October 2026) |
| Default values | No | Yes |
Both: say the calculation follows ISO 14083 and the GLEC Framework v3.3, and name the emission factor sources you used. Only claim conformity with ISO 14083 if your data collection and boundaries meet all of it; a calculator can follow the method, but the claim is yours.
Sootcase follows ISO 14083 and the GLEC Framework v3.3 for every calculation and shows each step with the GLEC page or ISO clause behind it, so you can check it. It is not accredited by Smart Freight Centre and isn't affiliated with it; GLEC values are used with Smart Freight Centre's permission and credited.
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