Shippers / Freight Forwarders / Solutions Providers

As critical stakeholders in the industry’s effort to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, shippers, freight forwarders, and solution providers across the air cargo industry need accurate CO2 emissions data to ensure better decision making and reporting compliance.

IATA CO2 Connect for Cargo calculates per-shipment CO2 emissions using primary data from airlines and is based on industry-approved recommended practices. Applying actual airline fuel consumption data, airline-specific cargo load factors, and airline-specific passenger numbers, IATA CO2 Connect for Cargo provides a highly accurate value of per-shipment CO2 emissions by airline and aircraft type.

IATA CO2 Connect for Cargo was developed in consultation with Smart Freight Centre, airlines, freight forwarders, shippers, and technology companies to deliver greater CO2 data transparency across the industry.

  • Access the most granular, precise, and reliable per-shipment CO2 emissions data available for air cargo, based on actual airline and aircraft specific fuel burn and load factor data, contributed directly by carriers.
  • Have confidence that the CO2 emissions data is calculated using industry approved methodology—IATA Recommended Practice (RP) 1678 (and IATA RP 1726 for belly cargo) and is aligned with the latest industry standards, such as the ISO14083, Smart Freight Center GLEC Framework 3.0, as well as EcoTransIT and German DIN standards.  
  • IATA CO2 Connect for Cargo also provides such outputs as Tank-to-Wake (TTW), Well-to-Wake (WTW), CO2 equivalent and CO2 tonnes per kilometer.
  • Implement a calculator that will always reflect the latest industry consensus, updated regularly as new trends, regulations, or standards arise to ensure consistency and compliance with best practices. 
  • The API solution will be available early 2025. Early pilot testing is available from October 2024 for a limited group. Talk to an expert to know more. 

The IATA CO2 Connect Cargo calculator has the largest source of actual fuel consumption data in the marketplace, providing highly accurate CO2 emissions representation for cargo air transport.  

> IATA further develops CO2 Connect for Cargo with British Airways and Microsoft

 

Download the IATA CO2 Connect for Cargo Infographic


Frequently Asked Questions

The primary purpose is to provide accurate per-shipment CO2 emissions calculations for air cargo using actual airline fuel consumption data, airline-specific cargo load factors, and passenger load factor data.

The mission is to connect airlines and the travel industry with accurate and trusted CO2 solutions required by their customers, aligned with airline industry standards.

It uses actual airline data, a time-based approach for air transport, and aligns passenger and freight transport CO2 emissions calculations.

IATA CO2 Connect for cargo is based on industry-approved Recommended Practice 1678. It also aligns with the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) in their framework for logistics emissions calculations methodologies, ISO 14083, as well as EcoTransIT & German DIN Standards for precise and standardized CO2 emission calculations.

It multiplies the flight duration by a fuel consumption rate specific to the aircraft type, then applies the ICAO CORSIA CO2 emissions factor for jet kerosene.

Data sources include airline-contributed fuel consumption data, belly cargo data, industry averages, aircraft seating configurations, passenger load factors, and flight schedules.

CO2 emissions are allocated based on the ratio of total passenger weight to total payload weight (passenger + belly cargo).

A time-based approach captures variations in flight duration more accurately than a distance-based approach, reflecting differences due to prevalent winds and other factors.

It uses average values based on past data or industry averages if specific flight information is not provided.

Key output emission factors include:

  • CO2 TTW
  • CO2e WTW
  • CO2e TTW
  • CO2/tonne-kilometer
  • CO2/passenger-kilometer
  • CO2e TTW/tonne-kilometer
  • CO2e WTW/tonne-kilometer

It performs high-level plausibility checks, detailed statistical analysis, and leverages third-party verification frameworks.

IATA has recently released a SAF Accounting & Reporting Methodology providing a comprehensive framework ensuring an accurate, consistent, and transparent accounting of emission reductions associated with SAF use. In 2025, IATA CO2 Connect will account for SAF reductions on a network-wide basis and later look into implementing SAF reductions on an origin-destination basis.

The calculator defaults to industry average fuel consumption data for that aircraft type.

IATA is closely engaging with ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), research institutions, and industry stakeholders to monitor developments in measuring non-CO2 emissions from conventional fuel and SAF.  To support market demand for CO2e calculation results, multipliers are applied to TTW results in the calculator.  If a different consensus is reached by the global scientific community in terms of the value(s) that must be applied, the IATA CO2 Connect calculator will be adapted accordingly. 

IATA CO2 Connect Cargo can be used by all those seeking per-shipment CO2 emission calculations for a particular flight, whether it’s historic for reporting/analysis or for future flights. 

  • Airlines 
  • Shippers 
  • Freight Forwarders 
  • Air Cargo booking platforms 
  • Multi-modal reporting solutions for Air Cargo 
  • Corporate Offset Solutions providers 

 

Full Freighter Calculation 

1. Total CO2 Emissions:

  • Calculate the total CO2 emissions by multiplying the flight duration by the fuel consumption rate specific to the aircraft type. 
  • Apply the ICAO CORSIA CO2 emissions factor for jet kerosene (3.16). 

2. Total Payload:

  • Determine the cargo payload based on airline-specific and reported full freighter payload for that aircraft type and specific flight. 
  • If specific flight information is unavailable, use the latest available monthly value for that origin/destination, airline, and aircraft type combination.

3. Emission Allocation:

  • Since the aircraft is a full freighter, all CO2 emissions are attributed to cargo. 

 

Pax Airline Carrying Belly Cargo Calculation 

1. Total CO2 Emissions:

  • Similar to the full freighter, calculate the total CO2 emissions by multiplying the flight duration by the fuel consumption rate specific to the aircraft type. 
  • Apply the ICAO CORSIA CO2 emissions factor for jet kerosene (3.16).

2. Total Payload:

  • Determine the cargo payload based on airline-specific and reported belly cargo payload for that aircraft type and specific flight. 
  • Calculate the projected number of passengers based on the airline-specific cabin configuration and passenger load factors from the same month in the previous year. 
  • Calculate the total weight of all passengers (and their baggage) by multiplying the number of passengers by the standard weight of 100kg.

3. Emission Allocation:

  • Calculate the ratio of the total passenger weight to the total payload weight (passenger + belly cargo). 
  • Multiply the total CO2 emissions by this ratio to determine the share of emissions attributed to belly cargo. 
  • The remaining emissions are allocated to passengers. 

 

Calculation Example

 

Full Freighter Example:

  • Flight Duration: 300 minutes 
  • Fuel Consumption Rate: 50 kg/min 
  • Total Fuel Consumption: 300 minutes * 50 kg/min = 15,000 kg 
  • Total CO2 Emissions: 15,000 kg * 3.16 = 47,400 kg CO2 
  • Cargo Payload: 20,000 kg 
  • Shipment Mass: 2,000 kg 
  • Shipment CO2 Emissions: (2,000 kg / 20,000 kg) * 47,400 kg CO2 = 4,740 kg CO2 

 

Pax Airline Carrying Belly Cargo Example: 

  • Flight Duration: 300 minutes 
  • Fuel Consumption Rate: 50 kg/min 
  • Total Fuel Consumption: 300 minutes * 50 kg/min = 15,000 kg 
  • Total CO2 Emissions: 15,000 kg * 3.16 = 47,400 kg CO2 
  • Passenger Load: 150 passengers * 100 kg = 15,000 kg 
  • Cargo Payload: 5,000 kg 
  • Total Payload: 15,000 kg (passengers) + 5,000 kg (cargo) = 20,000 kg 
  • Emission Allocation: 
  • Passenger Emissions: (15,000 kg / 20,000 kg) * 47,400 kg CO2 = 35,550 kg CO2 
  • Cargo Emissions: (5,000 kg / 20,000 kg) * 47,400 kg CO2 = 11,850 kg CO2 
  • Shipment Mass: 1,000 kg 
  • Shipment CO2 Emissions: (1,000 kg / 5,000 kg) * 11,850 kg CO2 = 2,370 kg CO2 

 

These examples illustrate the differences in calculating CO2 emissions for full freighters and passenger airlines carrying belly cargo. The key distinction lies in the allocation of emissions between passengers and cargo for passenger airlines.