> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.dcycle.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Getting Started with GLEC
> Learn how to measure and report logistics emissions following the GLEC v3.0 Framework and ISO 14083
# Getting Started with GLEC
Learn how to calculate, track, and report your logistics company's carbon footprint using the **GLEC v3.0 Framework** (Global Logistics Emissions Council), fully aligned with **ISO 14083**.
**Estimated time**: 2 hours
**What you'll learn**:
* Understand the GLEC v3.0 Framework and its key concepts
* Calculate transport emissions by transport mode (road, rail, maritime, air)
* Configure logistics hubs and track hub operations
* Record actual fuel consumption for carrier-level accuracy
* Generate and interpret the GLEC company report (Scope 1/2/3)
## What is the GLEC Framework?
The **GLEC Framework** is the globally recognized methodology for calculating and reporting logistics greenhouse gas emissions across multi-modal supply chains. Developed by the Smart Freight Centre, it provides a standardized approach for:
* **Carriers** (logistics service providers) to report emissions from their own fleet and hub operations
* **Shippers** to understand the carbon footprint of goods transported on their behalf
* **Freight forwarders** to allocate emissions across complex, multi-modal transport chains
**GLEC v3.0 and ISO 14083**
The GLEC Framework v3.0 is fully harmonized with **ISO 14083:2023** — the international standard for quantifying and reporting GHG emissions from transport operations. Dcycle implements both standards through the same Logistics API. References to "ISO 14083" and "GLEC v3.0" in the API are interchangeable.
## Key Concepts
```
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ GLEC v3.0 FRAMEWORK │
├──────────────────────────┬───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┤
│ Transport Operations │ Hub Operations │ Company Report │
│ (TOCs) │ (HOCs) │ (Scopes 1/2/3) │
├──────────────────────────┼───────────────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ • Road (trucks, vans) │ • Warehouses │ • Scope 1: TTW + Hubs │
│ • Rail (freight) │ • Cross-docking │ • Scope 2: Hub energy │
│ • Maritime (ships) │ • Distribution ctrs │ • Scope 3: WTT + │
│ • Air (cargo, belly) │ • Cold storage │ Subcontracted + Hubs │
├──────────────────────────┴───────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┤
│ Output: Intensity Values (gCO2e/tkm for transport, gCO2e/tonne for hubs) │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
### TOC (Transport Operation Category)
A **TOC** defines the vehicle type and fuel combination used for a transport leg. Each TOC has a **WTW emission factor** in kgCO2e per tonne-kilometer (tkm).
| Category | Vehicle Types | Example TOC | Typical WTW (kgCO2e/tkm) |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------ |
| **Road** | Van, rigid truck, articulated truck, tank truck | `van_diesel`, `artic_truck_electric` | 0.196 – 1.270 |
| **Rail** | Freight train | `generic_average_rail` | 0.025 – 0.030 |
| **Maritime** | Container, bulk carrier, tanker, ro-ro | `generic_average_maritime` | 0.008 – 0.020 |
| **Air** | Freighter, belly freight | `freighter_average_air` | 0.600 – 1.100 |
### HOC (Hub Operation Category)
A **HOC** defines the type of logistics hub and its default emission intensity in kgCO2e per tonne handled. Examples: `transshipment_ambient`, `transshipment_mixed`, `cold_storage`.
### WTW (Well-to-Wheel) Methodology
GLEC v3.0 uses **Well-to-Wheel** accounting, capturing the full lifecycle of fuel:
**Upstream emissions**: Extraction, refining, and distribution of fuel. Reported as **Scope 3**.
**Direct emissions**: Combustion of fuel in the vehicle. Reported as **Scope 1** (own fleet) or **Scope 3** (subcontracted).
**Complete footprint**: WTT + TTW. This is the default factor applied per TOC.
**CO2e = tkm x WTW emission factor**
### Transport Intensity Value (IV)
The key metric in GLEC reporting. It measures emission efficiency:
**Transport Activity IV = Total transport emissions (gCO2e) / Total transport activity (tkm)**
A lower IV means more efficient transport operations.
### Distance Adjustment Factor (DAF)
GLEC requires converting actual route distances to **Shortest Feasible Distance (SFD)** using Distance Adjustment Factors:
| Mode | DAF Rule | Example |
| ------------ | ----------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| **Road** | Route distance x 0.95 | 500 km route → 475 km SFD |
| **Maritime** | Route distance x 0.85 | 1000 km route → 850 km SFD |
| **Air** | Great Circle Distance − 95 km | 2000 km GCD → 1905 km SFD |
| **Rail** | No adjustment (1.0) | 300 km → 300 km SFD |
Dcycle applies DAFs automatically when calculating distances from origin/destination addresses. If you provide `distance_km` directly, it is used as-is (assumed to be already adjusted).
## GLEC Calculation Flow
```
Shipment Data → Region Resolution → TOC Selection → Distance Calculation → Load Allocation → Emissions
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
origin, origin_country vehicle_type Geocoding + load x factor tkm x WTW
destination, → EU/NA/SA/AS + region match DAF applied → kg = kgCO2e
load, toc /AF/OC/GLO
```
**Detailed steps:**
1. Resolve **region** from `origin_country` (e.g., `ES` → `EU`)
2. Match **TOC** by vehicle type + region (priority: exact region > GLO > EU fallback)
3. Calculate **distance** via geocoding + routing, then apply DAF — or use provided `distance_km`
4. Convert **load** to kg (supports kg, ton, pallets, TEU, FEU)
5. Compute **tkm** = load (tonnes) x distance (km)
6. Calculate **CO2e** = tkm x WTW emission factor
7. For electric vehicles: CO2e = tkm x grid emission factor x energy efficiency factor
## Who Needs GLEC?
You operate a fleet and/or logistics hubs. You need to:
1. **Track transport operations** → [Step 1: Transport Operations](/guides/emissions/glec-step-1-transport-operations)
2. **Configure and track hub emissions** → [Step 2: Hub Operations](/guides/emissions/glec-step-2-hub-operations)
3. **Record actual fuel consumption** → [Step 3: Fuel Consumption](/guides/emissions/glec-step-3-fuel-consumption)
4. **Generate the GLEC company report** → [Step 4: Reports](/guides/emissions/glec-step-4-reports)
The company report breaks down your emissions into Scope 1 (own fleet TTW + owned hubs), Scope 2 (hub purchased energy), and Scope 3 (WTT + subcontracted transport + subcontracted hubs).
You hire carriers to transport your goods. You need to:
1. **Track shipments by client/carrier** → [Step 1: Transport Operations](/guides/emissions/glec-step-1-transport-operations)
2. **Generate emissions reports per carrier** → [Step 4: Reports](/guides/emissions/glec-step-4-reports)
All transport emissions fall under your **Scope 3** (upstream or downstream transportation). You typically don't need hub or fuel consumption tracking.
## Prerequisites
Before starting, ensure you have:
* Dcycle API credentials ([get them here](/docs/quickstart#step-1-get-your-api-key))
* Your organization set up in Dcycle with an `organization_id`
* Shipment data: origins, destinations, weights, and vehicle types
**Using the Dcycle App?**
You can also measure your logistics footprint through our web interface:
* [Measure in logistics companies (GLEC v3.0)](https://scribehow.com/shared/Measure_Your_Footprint_in_Logistics_Companies_Under_the_GLEC_v30_Framework__pu1o2COeQ1WWNczGHMgqjw) ([ES](https://scribehow.com/shared/Mide_tu_huella_en_empresas_de_logistica_bajo_el_marco_GLEC_v30__ZzztbxeHQUmU4-PYIzgB9Q)) - For logistics service providers
* [Upload sent goods](https://scribehow.com/shared/How_to_upload_SHIPPED_goods_manually_or_automatically__XEzujPvPTjiM16-z5K9Pvw) ([ES](https://scribehow.com/shared/Como_subir_mercancia_enviada_de_forma_manual_o_automatica__H5mmUALDSzK7Fp00ywuJ1g)) - For outbound shipments
* [Upload received goods](https://scribehow.com/shared/How_to_upload_received_merchandise_manually_or_automatically__WpkPx0TCT5-9KQEMmVVm5g) ([ES](https://scribehow.com/shared/Como_subir_mercancia_recibida_de_forma_manual_o_automatica__U5tGaWbnRA2rsxpve8maiQ)) - For inbound shipments
## Data Map: GLEC Requirements Overview
```
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ GLEC DATA REQUIREMENTS OVERVIEW │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Transport Operations (Step 1) │ │
│ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Required Optional Traceability │ │
│ │ ──────── ──────── ──────────── │ │
│ │ • origin OR distance • origin_country • movement_id │ │
│ │ • destination • load_factor • client │ │
│ │ • toc OR category • cleaning • shipment_date │ │
│ │ • load + load_unit • year • package_key │ │
│ │ • subcontractor • vehicle_license_plate │ │
│ │ • hub_id • movement_stretch │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Hub Operations (Step 2) │ │
│ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Required Optional │ │
│ │ ──────── ──────── │ │
│ │ • name • facility_id (for owned hubs) │ │
│ │ • address • supercharger │ │
│ │ • type (owned/subcontracted) │ │
│ │ • category (HOC type) │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Fuel Consumption (Step 3) — Carriers only │ │
│ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Required Optional │ │
│ │ ──────── ──────── │ │
│ │ • fuel_type • vehicle_license_plate │ │
│ │ • quantity • country │ │
│ │ • date • toc_id │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
## Quick Start: Your First Calculation
Calculate emissions for a single transport leg in under a minute:
```python Python theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
import requests
import os
headers = {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.getenv('DCYCLE_API_KEY')}",
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"x-organization-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_ORG_ID"),
"x-user-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_USER_ID"),
}
# Calculate a Madrid → Barcelona road shipment
shipment = {
"origin": "Madrid, Spain",
"destination": "Barcelona, Spain",
"origin_country": "ES",
"toc": "rigid_truck_diesel",
"load": 5000,
"load_unit": "kg",
"year": 2025,
}
response = requests.post(
"https://api.dcycle.io/v1/logistics/requests",
headers=headers,
json=shipment,
).json()
print(f"Distance: {response['distance_km']:.1f} km")
print(f"CO2e (WTW): {response['co2e']:.2f} kg")
print(f"TOC used: {response['toc']}")
```
```javascript JavaScript theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
const axios = require('axios');
const headers = {
Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.DCYCLE_API_KEY}`,
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
'x-organization-id': process.env.DCYCLE_ORG_ID,
'x-user-id': process.env.DCYCLE_USER_ID,
};
// Calculate a Madrid → Barcelona road shipment
const shipment = {
origin: 'Madrid, Spain',
destination: 'Barcelona, Spain',
origin_country: 'ES',
toc: 'rigid_truck_diesel',
load: 5000,
load_unit: 'kg',
year: 2025,
};
const { data } = await axios.post(
'https://api.dcycle.io/v1/logistics/requests',
shipment,
{ headers }
);
console.log(`Distance: ${data.distance_km.toFixed(1)} km`);
console.log(`CO2e (WTW): ${data.co2e.toFixed(2)} kg`);
console.log(`TOC used: ${data.toc}`);
```
## Step-by-Step Guides
Create transport legs, select TOCs, handle multi-modal chains, and bulk upload shipments
Configure logistics hubs, assign HOC categories, and track hub emissions
Record actual fuel consumption for carrier-level Scope 1 accuracy
Generate the GLEC company report with Scope 1/2/3 breakdown and intensity values
## Related Resources
Complete API documentation for all logistics endpoints
General logistics tutorial with API-focused examples
Corporate-wide emissions calculation (complements GLEC for non-transport sources)
Get your API key and set up your first organization