Transportation, Freight & Distribution worked example

Transportation Carbon Cost at 110% reportable emissions share: a worked example

This scenario runs the transportation carbon cost calculation on the strong side: 110% reportable emissions share, with every other input held at its documented default. Use it for sustainability reporting, customer chargebacks, modal comparisons, or carbon-inclusive freight bids.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Transportation emissions: 18,500 kg CO2e (unchanged)
  • Internal carbon price: 0.01 $ / kg CO2e (unchanged)
  • Reportable emissions share: 110 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 100)
  • Fixed reporting or offset cost: 250 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable transportation carbon cost = transportation emissions × carbon cost rate × reportable emissions share) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 494 $ for total transportation carbon cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.03 $ / unit for carbon cost per kg co2e.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 244 $ for variable transportation carbon cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 250 $ for fixed charges.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where reportable emissions share sits at 100% and the headline result is 472 $, this scenario comes in 4.7% above the baseline at 494 $.
  • Use it when building a shadow carbon price into freight decisions, estimating offset budgets, or comparing the carbon cost of lanes and modes. Treat this as a target state: the delta against the baseline quantifies what the improvement is worth before you commit to chasing it.

Results at a glance

  • Total transportation carbon cost: 494 $ (headline result)
  • Carbon cost per kg CO2e: 0.03 $ / unit
  • Variable transportation carbon cost: 244 $
  • Fixed charges: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Transportation Carbon Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.