Develop a Carbon Footprint Statement from ITA501

Curriculum Integration Statement for the TCS Program

The International Transportation and Customs (TCS) program opens the global logistics world to its students. Weaving TRC, EDI, and Sustainability throughout the TCS program will provide students the opportunity to explore their role as global citizens. Exploring this interrelationship throughout their program will help students to develop a practical understanding of these connections and the impact on the past, present, and future, not only in their chosen industry but within their daily lives. Knowledge is empowering. TCS aims to graduate students who feel empowered and are ready to make informed decisions to effect change.

Employability and Graduate Readiness

This two-year diploma program provides students with a solid technical understanding and practical knowledge of international transportation, customs brokerage and international freight forwarding.

Every decision made by professionals in these fields influences energy consumption, emissions generation, resources use, and the social and economic conditions connected to global movement of goods.

Students will gain valued expertise and knowledge to help companies effectively manage the movement of goods and services internationally in our complex global economy.

Applying a sustainability lens to all activities in international transportation and customs is essential because these sectors sit at the centre of global trade with high environmental impact. International freight is one of the world’s highest-emitting sectors, and the shift towards greener logistics is accelerating. These industries are under growing pressure from governments, global supply chain partners, and big clients to reduce emissions, disclose climate impacts, and adopt more sustainable logistics practices.

Gaining knowledge and hands-on skills in carbon footprint calculation and greenhouse gas emissions reporting offers a powerful advantage for college graduates entering the international transportation, customs brokerage and freight forwarding sectors. Graduates with relevant competencies are signaling than they are ready for the future of logistics because they will:

• stand out to employers looking for professionals who can respond to climate regulations
• increase employability across multiple sub-industries such as air cargo, ocean freight, trucking, rail, customs brokerage, etc.
• help companies comply with rising global standards
• support clients who increasingly ask for carbon-efficient routing options
• gain confidence using industry tools
• position themselves for future leadership roles in corporate strategy

This kernel supports topics that are already integrated into program learning outcomes and are present in the SDG101 course, Introduction to Sustainable Business. Students will arrive in this course with foundational understanding of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting and the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Goals (SDGs).

Curriculum Integration Goal

In the ITA501 course, the curriculum integration champion sees an opportunity to incorporate a carbon footprint statement in the major assignment. Students can practice carbon footprint statements during an in-class activity and apply this skill to an assignment.

This kernel offers some activity ideas that engage students in carbon footprint reporting at the foundational and applied level.

Curriculum Integration Goal: Create a Carbon Footprint Statement

The end-goal is for students to work in groups to create a carbon footprint statement. Learning to create a carbon footprint statement is a complex, multi-step process that requires students to practice and demonstrate the following skills:

• Researching and investigation
• Critical thinking and ethical skills
• Data analysis and calculation
• Collaboration
• Writing
• Presenting
• In some cases, effective prompting in Copilot

The process of carbon footprint statement development is complex and should be broken down into smaller tasks that build into a singular report that is presented by student groups in written and/or spoken form.

What is a Carbon Footprint Statement?

A carbon footprint statement is a concise, data-driven report that communicates the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – direct and indirect – generated by an organization, product, services, or logistics activity. It typically relies on standardized frameworks (e.g., Scope 1, 2, 3 emissions) and provides transparency about environmental impact of all activities in an organization.

The following activities demonstrate ways to support students in building the skills required to create a carbon footprint statement.

To read more about carbon footprint statements, consult the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Calculator Toolkit.

Pre-Activity Ideas

Before launching into this complex topic, consider the following:

• Ask students to guess what a carbon footprint is and why it is important to this sector
• Facilitate a mind-map that includes advantages of employees who can conduct carbon footprint calculations in the workplace. In your facilitation, elicit key words and new vocabulary related to carbon footprints, greenhouse gas emissions, and sustainability reporting
• Invite students to develop a prompt for Copilot that connects GHG to carbon footprinting and their sector

Activity 1: Introduce Students to the Government of Canada's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory

Direct students to the Government of Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, direct students to the Greening Government Strategy.

In pairs or groups, students will choose a role from their program (e.g., customs officer, freight forwarded, compliance officer, etc.) and discuss/respond to some or all of the following questions.

• How does the Greening Government Strategy affect this role?
• What skills will I need to support low-carbon supply chains?
• What sustainability decisions will I influence in this role?

Students can present their ideas verbally, in slides, video, and/or poster.

Options for students who require more support

Consider asking students to complete comprehension questions, take a quiz, or participate in a discussion. You can adapt the following worksheet: Develop a Carbon Footprint: Instructor Notes.

Activity 2: "Reverse Engineer" a Sample Carbon Footprint Statement

In groups, students will review a sample carbon footprint statement and dissect it into their core components. They could break the statement down into:

• Emissions categories
• Calculation approach
• Hotspot analysis
• Reduction commitment
• Long-term goals

After breaking it apart, students can reconstruct the reporting into a simplified outline of a company’s footprint and present it in their own words.

Sample Guiding Questions

• How is the narrative structured (problem – data – analysis – action)?
• What data is disclosed and what remains unclear?
• Does the company use absolute emissions, emission intensity or both?
• Can you identify while elements would be required if you had to replicate this format for a shipment or logistics operation?

Sample Carbon Footprint Statements

Here are examples of companies that incorporate carbon footprint calculations into their reporting.

1. Estes (U.S.) Estes is a large U.S.-based freight carrier that specializes in less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping. It moves freight for customers who don't’ have enough goods to fill an entire truck. It’s the largest privately owned LTL carrier in the United States and operates a wide network of more than 300 terminals across North America, supported by a large fleet of trucks and trailers.

Resource: Estes Carbon Footprint Report (2024)

• In January 2025, Estes published its first carbon footprint calculator for Scope 1 and 2 emissions
• Estes uses emissions data to identify hotspots, track progress, and set reduction targets
• Goal: Net-zero emissions by 2050.

2. CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City) CPKC is a rail freight carrier. It publishes GHG emissions reports with formal assurance and has an open commitment to reducing GHG emissions.

Resource: CPKC Carbon Calculator and Sustainability Reporting (2026)

3. DHL Group (Deutsche Post) DHL is one of the world’s largest logistics companies and produces some of the most comprehensive sustainability and ESL reporting in the global transport sector. Since 2021, DHL has integrated its non-financial sustainability reporting directly into its annual management report.

• DHL aims to full electrify its fleet and increase the number of bicycle deliveries
• reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% by 2030
• Goal: for net-zero emissions by 2050

Resource: DGL ESG Reporting (2026)

Option: Prompt students to use Copilot to help them find more Canadian companies that calculate their carbon footprint. While many do not release formal carbon footprint calculations or verified emissions reports, some submit ESG reports with relevant data. For example, TFI International is based on Montreal, Quebec. It is one of the largest transportation and logistics companies in North America and operates Canada’s largest LTL business. It operates across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico with more than 570 facilities.

Other companies to consider analyzing include Ocean Spray, Amazing Logistics, UPS, FedEx, VolvoGroup (transportation operations), Honda, Bosch, Hyundai, Shell, Toyota, bp, and Airbus.

Activity 3: Calculate and Compare Freight Emissions

In this activity, students will practice GHG calculation, analysis, and communication as required for Customs & International Transportation professionals. Students can work in groups and use a carbon calculator to determine if the selected the best mode of transport:

• Select a transportation route (air, ocean, or intermodal)
• Use sample activity data (fuel use, tonne-km, distance)
• Calculate GHG emissions using a standard framework (e.g., GLEC-inspired calculator such as CN's Carbon Calculator)
• Compare their route’s emissions to an industry example (e.g., DHL fleet data or Estes reporting practices)
• Draft a mini carbon footprint statement summarizing: Emissions sources; Calculations; Identified hotspots; Suggested reduction

Activity 4: How to Prepare a Carbon Footprint Statement

Here is a structured process preparing students for industry:

Step 1: Identify Emission Sources: Vehicles, warehousing, electricity, supplier logistics, air/ocean freight. Do your best to quantify a full range of emissions sources.

Step 2: Collect Activity Data: Examples include litres of fuel used, kWh electricity, and Tonnes‑km transported; Logistics organizations use tools like GLEC or SmartWay frameworks.

Step 3: Calculate CO₂e: Apply accepted formulas or online emissions calculators (e.g., Pledge Freight Emissions Calculator).

Step 4: Analyze Findings: Identify “hot spots” in fleet or routing emissions. Tools such as Seedling highlight how freight forwarders segment footprint data and identify hotspots.

Step 5: Recommend Reductions: Transportation examples include: Switching to renewable diesel; Electrifying parts of the fleet (as done by DHL reporting) and network redesign and intermodal transport.

Step 6: Present the Statement: Include: Executive summary; Visual charts of emissions; Identified hot spots; Reduction strategies

• Targets (e.g., net‑zero goals)

Activity 5: Develop a Carbon Footprint Statement

At minimum, a comprehensive carbon footprint statement should include the following:

1. Emissions Scopes

• Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned/controlled sources (e.g., fleets, fuel combustion)
• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased electricity or heating/cooling
• Scope 3: Indirect emissions from upstream/downstream activities (e.g., supplier operations, freight forwarding, product life cycle)

2. Measurement Methodology

• Identified emissions sources
• Calculation methods (CLEC, ISO standards, SmartWay data) - this could be introduced as a pre-activity whereby students will investigate the meaning of these terms
• Reliable methodologies increase credibility in freight and logistics reporting

3. Data Summary

• Emissions totals in CO₂e
• Emissions by category (e.g., fleet, facilities, shipping modes)

4. Reduction Initiatives

• Route optimization, electrification, sustainable fuels, logistics network redesign
• Transportation companies such as Ocean Spray achieved reductions using intermodal shifts and network redesign.

5. Improvement Targets

• Short-term and long-term goals (e.g., net-zero by 2050, as demonstrated by Estes)

Consult the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Worksheet for a more detailed template that includes an executive summary, introduction, scope classification, activity data and calculations, analysis, recommendations, conclusions, and appendices.

Supplementary Materials (Created in-house with Copilot support)

• What is a carbon footprint statement?
• What does it include?
• Sample carbon footprint statement (with fictional numbers)
• Assignment Instructions
• Sample Rubric

Note: If students have successfully completed Activity B, they will have deduced what is included in a carbon footprint statement.

Resources

• Carbon Footprinting: An Introduction for Organizations (page 4)
• Develop a carbon footprint: Instructor Notes (templates, quiz questions, etc.)

Consider using a Scenario

Students can act as sustainability analysts for an international freight forwarded. They can work with a scenario that involves:

• Origin and destination
• Modes of transport
• Freight weight and volume
• Energy consumption data (fuel or electricity)

Assignment Components

1. Define emissions scopes relevant to shipment
2. Calculate the shipment’s carbon footprint
3. Benchmark against at least one industry case (e.g., Ocean Spray’s intermodal case or Estes’ emissions reporting)
4. Provide recommendations for improving sustainability (renewal fuels, electrification, route optimization)
5. Produce a final carbon footprint statement that includes: Executive Summary; Emission data tables; Charts; Hotspot analysis; Future reduction strategies
6. Present findings in person, on video, podcast, infographic, etc.

Additional assignment details (including a scenario) and templates available in the Develop a Carbon Footprint: Instructor Notes.

Summary

This kernel provided activity ideas and planning considerations for the development of a Carbon Footprint Statement in the International Transportation & Customs (TCS) program.

Supplementary materials and resources such as quizzes, discussion questions, templates, samples, and instructions, are available in the document Develop a Carbon Footprint: Instructor Notes.

Are you interested in teaching carbon footprints but are not in the TCS Program? Great! Carbon footprint statements can be applied to courses outside of the TCS program. Non-TCS faculty are encouraged to consider adapting these activities to their course.