Transportation, Freight & Distribution worked example

Transportation Carbon Cost at 72% reportable emissions share: a worked example

This worked example runs the transportation carbon cost numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 72% reportable emissions share instead of the typical 100%. Estimate transportation carbon cost from emissions volume, carbon price, reportable share, and fixed reporting or offset cost.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Transportation emissions: 18,500 kg CO2e (held at the documented default)
  • Internal carbon price: 0.01 $ / kg CO2e (held at the documented default)
  • Reportable emissions share: 72 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 100)
  • Fixed reporting or offset cost: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable transportation carbon cost = transportation emissions × carbon cost rate × reportable emissions share.
  • Total transportation carbon cost works out to 410 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Carbon cost per kg CO2e works out to 0.02 $ / unit at these inputs.
  • Variable transportation carbon cost works out to 160 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed charges works out to 250 $ at these inputs.

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 13.17% below the baseline at 410 $.
  • Use it when building a shadow carbon price into freight decisions, estimating offset budgets, or comparing the carbon cost of lanes and modes. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Total transportation carbon cost: 410 $ (headline result)
  • Carbon cost per kg CO2e: 0.02 $ / unit
  • Variable transportation carbon cost: 160 $
  • Fixed charges: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Transportation Carbon Cost calculator, set reportable emissions share to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.