FAQ

EcoTransIT World is a software solution from IVE mbH for calculating and comparing the environmental impact of freight transport on the basis of a scientific and  neutral methodology.

It can assess transport chains by road, air, sea, rail, inland waterways, and logistics hubs. The calculations can include:

• Greenhouse gas emissions, including CO₂ and CO₂ equivalents
• Energy consumption
• Air pollutants such as NOₓ, SO₂, NMHC, and particulate matter
• External costs related to climate, air pollution, accidents, and noise
• Detailed routing and transport-chain information

EcoTransIT World supports individual calculations as well as mass calculations and system integration through interfaces such as REST, SOAP, and CSV. Its methodology is aligned with ISO 14083, the GLEC Framework, and the GHG Protocol.

In short, EcoTransIT World helps logistics companies measure emissions, compare transport options, report environmental impacts, and identify opportunities to reduce them.

• Intermodal: EcoTransIT World is able to calculate any transport chain, combining different modes of transport.
• Global: EcoTransIT World allows the user to calculate the ecologic footprint of complex global supply chains.
• Routing: A global traffic network is available for each mode of transport (road, air, sea , rail, inland waterway transport). The large volume of GIS data allows calculation of precise routing, thereby considering transport-specific aspects such as ferry transport for trucks, electrification of railroads, Emission Control Areas (ECA zones) for ocean shipping.
• Flexibility: The Business Solutions offered by EcoTransIT World allow immediate use of the standardised interfaces as well as individual solutions according to specific customer requirements.
• Simple: EcoTransIT World is simple to use because little basic data, such as gross weight (t, kg, t/TEU for container transport), start and destination, and mode of transport are sufficient to calculate the emissions. Additional information may be used to enhance and individualise the calculation and to make it more precise.
• Up-to-date: EcoTransIT World is constantly developed and regularly adapted to state-of-the-art technology.
• In accordance with standards: EcoTransIT World is certified to be aligned with ISO14083 and the GLEC Framework by Smart Freight Centre and is compliant with the GHG Protocol (Corporate Standard).

Using EcoTransIT World does not automatically reduce emissions. However, it supports companies in doing so by making emissions and energy consumption transparent. This puts the user in the position to optimise transport from an ecologic point of view. You can only manage what you can measure!

Only a few basic criteria are needed to calculate: Gross weight + unit (tons, kg, TEU/FEU/pallet count, tons per TEU/FEU/pallet), origin and destination location, and the respective transport modes. To increase the calculation accuracy, additional transport parameters can be defined, such as the vehicle type, fuel type, load factor or emission class.  Parameters that are not specified will be filled with the EcoTransIT World default values based on industry averages and scientific research.

EcoTransIT World offers over 100 parameter definitions for all transport modes, with each parameter having multiple key options, allowing for an even greater number of combinations. This large number of combinations enables users to define their transport chain very precisely, enhancing the transparency and accuracy of each calculation. If parameters are unavailable, EcoTransIT World applies default values to support user’s calculations.

EcoTransIT World uses internal GIS routing data, location databases and statistical models, as well as external transport data. Sources include HBEFA, ifeu, OAG, Skailark, AIS, Alphaliner, Clean Cargo, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Conference of European Maritime Transport (CEMT), among others.
Missing parameters are validated and completed using transport-mode-specific default values. These defaults cover vehicle and vessel characteristics, load factors, empty trips, routing, cargo weights and fuel composition. Users can also provide their own fuel consumption, emission and reduction factors, which are reported separately from the standard calculation.

EcoTransIT World contains more than 12 million postal codes, over 98,000 UN/LOCODEs, more than 9,000 IATA codes and approximately one million city names. The GIS data is continuously maintained to ensure a high level of quality, including the regular addition of new locations. Business Solutions users can also use the Location Editor to add user-specific locations that are not yet available in the system.

EcoTransIT World covers the following modes of transports:

• Road: more than 30 truck types available
• Rail: more than 15 train categories available
• Air: over 300 aircraft types included in the database
• Sea: over 90 vessel types included in the database
• Inland waterways: eight vessel types available
• Logistics hubs and transshipment activities: five different handling types available.

Ferry transport is handled as part of road or rail routing when a route includes a sea crossing.

EcoTransIT World provides in each output:

• Energy consumption values.
• CO2, CO2 equivalents, NOx, NMHC, SO2 and particulate-matter emissions, separated into upstream, operational and total values.
• Transport distance, transport activity and emission intensity per tonne-kilometre.
• Energy-carrier consumption, production type, CO2e share, biogenic emissions and electricity-source breakdown.
• Routing details, applied transport parameters, notifications and metadata.
• External costs for air pollution, climate, accidents and noise.

Results can be split by country and/or traction type. Beyond this, the calculated route of the transport can be exported as KML format.

The calculation of the energy consumption and emissions in EcoTransIT World follows the following steps:

• Calculation of route information based on the internal routing algorithm including splitting of the route into relevant sections to match individual parameters, e.g. road type or electricity mix of various countries.
• Identification of the transport parameters based on the characteristics of each section and description of the transport (for example vehicle type and emission category, propulsion type/fuel type, country characteristics, …). Missing information is completed with default parameters.
• Calculation of energy consumption and emissions by using a respective formula based on freight type, conversion and emission factors, transport distance, freight allocation, loading factor and empty trip factor for each relevant section.
• Providing the results for each section.

Greenhouse gases (CO₂ and CO₂e) are calculated based on fuel consumption. To achieve this, all standard fuel types, including country-specific bio-mixtures, are available in EcoTransIT World. The calculation of air pollution depends on the vehicle type and its technical specifications, e.g. whether it has a catalyst or what emission category it falls into. As this calculation is substantially more complex than calculating greenhouse gases, only a few emission calculators cover air pollutants. EcoTransIT World calculates both greenhouse gases and air pollutants globally for all modes of transport. It also considers the upstream supply chains that enable transportation. These are referred to as well-to-tank (WTT or energy provision emissions). Several processes are necessary before a vehicle can consume fuel or electricity. These include production, provision, refining and supplying of fuel. In accordance with ISO 14083, consideration of energy provision emissions is obligatory and is therefore fully integrated into the EcoTransIT World calculation. The complete EcoTransIT World methodology is available in an in-depth report in our Knowledge Portal.

Yes. Distribution tours, collection tours / milk runs can be calculated in EcoTransIT World via the API Business Solutions.

The request contains:

• An ordered list of locations and tour legs
• Loads and unloads at each stop
• Transport parameters for each leg
• Optional freight-unit identifiers for allocating emissions

EcoTransIT World first calculates the complete tour, including a possible return leg for a closed tour. It then allocates the total emissions to the individual loaded or unloaded freight units based on tonne-kilometres and the linear distance to each stop.

Both closed tours—returning to the starting point—and open tours—ending at a different final location—are supported.

EcoTransIT World is used by a wide group of users including:

• Logistics service providers (LSP)
• Carriers
• Shippers
• Software provider or consultants
• Organisations and others.

EcoTransIT World provides scientifically sound, ISO 14083-compliant emission calculations for all major freight transport modes and complex logistics chains. Its ability to handle both small amounts of data and complex transport chains makes it attractive to all users.

Many stakeholders in the international freight transport sector demand measurement of the ecologic footprint of transport or it is ruled by the companies’ obligation to transparency. In many countries, companies of a certain size are obliged to prepare an environmental report which also requires covering the emissions. In France for example, the indication of emissions and energy consumption of a transport is required by law. Additionally, more consumers are getting interested in sustainability, making the conservation of the environmental impact in transportation a more significant topic. Furthermore, from the economic point of view, using EcoTransIT World can be worthwhile: A low ecologic footprint saves fuel and CO2 and consequently money as well. The results produced by EcoTransIT World are already used by many companies to prepare sustainability reports, make corporate decisions, or in corporate communication.

No, the starting and destination locations, gross weight and mode of transport are sufficient for a calculation. Any additional assumptions are based on default values determined by our scientific partners ifeu, INFRAS and Fraunhofer IML. These details are added to the calculation and displayed in the result. These default values can be replaced or amended with customer-specific values, of course. The more detailed the transport information, the more accurate the result. This is why it is recommended to include as much transport information as possible in the calculation. A list of high-influencing parameters is available for users of the business solution, providing an overview of areas where it would be useful to optimise or collect more data.

The IVE mbH works closely with their customers and partners as part of the EcoTransIT World Initiative (EWI) and working groups. All updates are validated by the scientific partners, who help to ensure that EcoTransIT World’s methodology is scientifically robust, transparent and relevant to logistics practice by developing and maintaining the calculation methods, emission factors and data for specific transport modes and logistics hubs. EcoTransIT World was one of the first software solutions to be ISO 14083 certified by Smart Freight Centre, demonstrating a strong commitment to meeting market needs.

Within IVE mbH, the processes relating to EcoTransIT World have been certified according to the ISAE 3402 standard.

EcoTransIT World offers solutions for all groups, including a free-to-use online emission calculator, API solutions, the CSV File Masscalculation as well as additional modules to support the software’s usage. Although using the free emission calculator on the EcoTransIT World website involves a lot of manual work, the professional interfaces provided by Business Solutions allow thousands of transports to be calculated in batches via CSV or automatically via API. Find more about our Business Solutions here or join our Introduction webinar

The Business Solutions are perfectly suited for companies that want to automatically calculate large amounts of transport/shipment data. Since these data no longer have to be entered manually, the use of Business Solutions saves a lot of time. Thanks to the use of modern interfaces, basically every application case is scalable, whether for company or individual customer reports, benchmarks or analysis calculations.

EcoTransIT World can be made available to companies very quickly. There is our free-to-use online emission calculator for individual transport calculations. The Business Solutions enable professional users to automatically calculate a large number of transports without manual input. Well-tested, standardised interfaces are available for this purpose. Here are the steps for a company to get their own EcoTransIT World licence:

1. Introduction call
   Learn about the EcoTransIT World methodology and available Business Solutions.
2. Personal follow-up call
   Discuss the solution that best fits your requirements, including data integration, security and service needs.
3. Optional software test
   Test the software with example datasets and review calculation logic, emission factors, routing and vehicle data.
4. Contract negotiations
   Define the required modules and service package, then clarify technical, security and legal requirements.
5. Onboarding and training
   EcoTransIT World provides technical support and user guidance, as well as training sessions that delve deeper into the methodology and CSV file mass calculation.

Got your interest? The best way to contact us is by email or join our introduction webinar.

Yes, you can test EcoTransIT World before deciding on an implementation. The test can include example datasets and help you evaluate the calculation logic, emission factors, routing and vehicle data.

You can also use the free-to-use online emission calculator for individual freight-transport analyses (link).

For a test of the Business Solutions, please contact the EcoTransIT World team at info@ecotransit.world to arrange the next steps.

You can provide transport data through three main interfaces:

Direct API Integration allows companies to exchange transport and emission data automatically with their own systems via REST using JSON or SOAP using XML.

CSV File Mass Calculation allows companies to upload transport lists (CSV) through a web interface or sFTP for batch processing, with results available in CSV, Excel and KML formats, as well as through an optional Result Dashboard.

Consulting projects provide validated calculation results and support with data quality, analysis and optional audit support.

The cost of using an EcoTransIT World Business Solution depends on the selected license model, module, data volume and service requirements. Annual license fees depend on the license type and cover support and the provision of a server, allowing unlimited use of the licensed interfaces. The overall service package covers implementation, hardware and server setup, onboarding, consulting, and the selected software modules, such as API or CSV File Mass Calculation. Optional services, including training, extended support and service-level agreements, can be included according to your requirements. Which license and solution are ideal for your company, and how best to use them, can be discussed in a web meeting. Simply contact us by email.

EcoTransIT World offers different solutions for users, each of which can be adapted to individual customer-specfic requirements:

Company Flat rate License: The solution to calculate all transport carried out on company’s waybill. The annual license fee depends on the company’s turnover.

Request based License: Applicable for calculations that are carried out on behalf of third parties. The annual license fee results from the number of calculations carried out.

Consulting Project: Execution of calculations for shippers and transport companies based on their transport data. There is no annual license fee for this service; The scope depends on the data quality and number of transports.

EcoTransIT World Business Solutions can process different data volumes depending on the selected interface:

• REST and SOAP API: Suitable for automated individual calculations. A single request can contain a complete transport chain with multiple sections, including complex intermodal transports.
• CSV File Mass Calculation: Suitable for large transport lists. Files can contain many transport services, which are processed individually as a batch.
• sFTP File Module: Supports the secure asynchronous upload and download of files containing numerous transport services.

The processing capacity is up to 1 million shipments per day and server.

Yes. EcoTransIT World provides several ways to analyse calculations.

For CSV File Mass Calculation, the results can be exported as CSV, Excel or KML files and analysed using Excel or other BI tools. The optional Result Dashboard provides interactive visualisations and KPIs, including total CO₂e, average intensity, shipment numbers, tonne-kilometres, total weight, average distance, transport-mode splits, regional views and route comparisons.

The LogViewer supports technical and data-quality analysis by showing the number of calculations, calculation times, transport types and failed calculations. It can also help identify missing locations and monitor calculation performance.

For REST or SOAP API calculations, the returned response contains the calculation results and relevant transport metrics, which can be stored and analysed in your own systems.

Each EcoTransIT World license contributes to the provision of the customer’s server environment and support services. A defined share of the license revenue supports the EcoTransIT World Initiative budget, which funds the continued development and harmonisation of the methodology. The EcoTransIT World Initiative works with scientific and industry partners, including ifeu, INFRAS, Fraunhofer IML and IVE, to maintain scientific quality, transparency and practical relevance.

EcoTransIT World Initiative budget supports the continuous enhancement of calculation methods, the integration and updating of recognised data sources, the operation and maintenance of technical infrastructure, and the updating of geographic, transport and timetable data. This includes satellite-based flight data from Skailark, scheduled flight data from OAG, and vessel movement and routing data based on AIS. EcoTransIT World also uses AIS-based ocean shipment data from AXSMarine, formerly Alphaliner, which reflects actual vessel movements.

The budget also supports communication of methodological developments through documentation, release information, webinars and other services. It enables EcoTransIT World to keep its data, methodology and software up to date and to continuously expand its services.

EcoTransIT World applies the following security measures and standards:

• ISAE 3402 certification: IVE’s IT processes for change management, data updates, releases, monitoring, hosting and security management are certified annually by external auditors. Customers can request the confirmation letter and report from IVE mbH.
• ISO/IEC 27001: IVE is currently undergoing the audit process for ISO/IEC 27001.ISO/IEC 27001 concerns the information security management system.
• Secure data transmission: Communication with the Business Solutions takes place via HTTPS or sFTP.
• Customer data separation: Each customer operates on encapsulated virtual machine, supporting the separation and protection of customer data.
• Server hosting in Germany: The standard infrastructure is hosted in a German data centre in Nuremberg.
• Security updates and audits: Security updates are regularly verified, and annual internal security audits are performed. Available security policy documentation can be provided.

The Business Solutions are offered as Software-as-a-Service. Therefore, no local installation or special hardware is required; an internet connection is sufficient to use EcoTransIT World. EcoTransIT World can be integrated into your own TMS or other systems, accessed through the web interface, or connected via JSON- or XML-based services.

The EcoTransIT World Initiative has supported and shaped EcoTransIT World since 2012. It is an independent, industry-driven platform whose members use EcoTransIT World and contribute to its further development. Members include logistics service providers, carriers, shippers and other organisations from across the logistics sector.

Despite including competitors, all members share the goal of developing a transparent, fair and accurate tool for calculating freight transport emissions and energy consumption with comparable results. The methodology is developed together with scientific and technical partners, including ifeu, INFRAS, Fraunhofer IML and IVE mbH. IVE is responsible for the technical implementation and further development of the software.

The EcoTransIT World Initiative Governance Rules regulate communication, coordination and antitrust compliance. EcoTransIT World Initiative is supported by networking, annual meetings, expert talks, workshops and an Advisory Board.

The EcoTransIT World Initiative was established to bring together stakeholders from across the logistics sector and jointly improve the methodology behind EcoTransIT World.

Its main objectives are to:

• Increase transparency about the environmental impact of freight transport
• Develop and harmonise a scientifically robust methodology
• Ensure practical relevance for the entire logistics sector
• Enable fair and comparable calculations across transport modes and transport chains
• Continuously improve the tool in cooperation with industry, scientific institutes and technical partners

The EcoTransIT World Initiative serves as a collaborative platform for the continuous development and harmonisation of the EcoTransIT World methodology.

Its role is to:

• Bring together stakeholders from across the logistics sector
• Ensure scientific robustness, transparency and practical relevance
• Support the continuous improvement of calculation methods and data
• Promote comparable results across transport modes and transport chains
• Facilitate cooperation with scientific and technical partner

EcoTransIT World Initiative is supported through networking, annual meetings, expert talks, workshops and an Advisory Board.