General cargo ship freight emission factor 2026 (UK, kg CO2e per tonne km)

In short

The 2026 UK government emission factor for general cargo ship freight is 0.013210 kg CO2e per tonne km, reported as Scope 3, category 4 (upstream transportation and distribution). It is unchanged from 2025. Including well-to-tank, the full figure is 0.016210 kg CO2e per tonne km.

Updated 8 October 2026 by the Carbon Recycling team. Figures use the official UK government conversion factors and are checked against the current gov.uk guidance.

Work out your general cargo ship freight emissions

Tonne km in a year

= 13.21 tonnes CO2e

Scope 3, 2026

16.21 tonnes CO2e including well-to-tank

Each tonne km × 0.013210 kg CO2e, the 2026 UK government (DESNZ) factor.

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General cargo ship freight emission factor by year

Year	Scope 3 (kg CO2e per tonne km)	Well-to-tank	Full figure	Change
2026	0.013210	0.003000	0.016210	0.0%
2025	0.013210	0.003000	0.016210	0.0%
2024	0.013210	0.003000	0.016210	-0.0%
2023	0.013213	0.002996	0.016209	-0.1%
2022	0.013232	0.002972	0.016204	0.0%
2021	0.013232	0.002972	0.016204	0.0%
2020	0.013232	0.002559	0.015791	0.0%
2019	0.013232	0.002556	0.015788	-0.0%
2018	0.013233	0.002560	0.015793	+0.6%
2017	0.013152	0.002476	0.015628	0.0%
2016	0.013152	0.002401	0.015553	-0.0%
2015	0.013155	0.002470	0.015625	+0.0%
2014	0.013154	0.002456	0.015610	+0.0%
2013	0.013150	0.002470	0.015620	0.0%
2012	0.013150	0.002470	0.015620	0.0%
2011^*	0.013150	0.002210	0.015360	0.0%
2010^*	0.013150	0.002230	0.015380	–

Total kg CO2e for the seven greenhouse gases, from the official DESNZ files for each year. * For years before 2012 DESNZ republished electricity and heat only, so these come from the Defra/DECC conversion factor guidelines published that year. 2026 factor ID: 27_320_3228_14_1. Where a factor jumps sharply between two years, it is usually because DESNZ changed its method or data source, not because the activity itself changed.

Worked example

Take 100 tonnes of goods shipped 10,000 km on a general cargo vessel. 1,000,000 tonne km × 0.013210 kg CO2e = 13.21 tonnes CO2e, reported as Scope 3, category 4 (upstream transportation and distribution). Adding well-to-tank brings the full figure to 16.21 tonnes CO2e; the extra 3.00 tonnes are Scope 3 category 3.

How to report it

General cargo ships carry goods that are not in containers, such as steel, timber or machinery. If your goods travel in containers, use the container ship factor.

Where the data comes from

You'll usually find it in your freight forwarder's records: weight and route. Keep the source documents: anyone checking your Carbon Reduction Plan or SECR report may ask how each figure was worked out.

Read more about how the factors change each year in our guide to the 2026 conversion factors, or see how we apply them in our methodology.

Related emission factors

Container ship freight: 0.016120 kg CO2e per tonne km
Long-haul air freight: 0.89939 kg CO2e per tonne km
Average HGV (road freight): 0.10356 kg CO2e per tonne km
All UK emission factors

Frequently asked questions

Which year's factor should I use?

The set for the year your reporting period falls in. If your financial year spans two calendar years, use the set for the calendar year most of it falls in, and keep the same rule every year. Don't restate past years with new factors unless you are correcting an error.

Is this the DEFRA factor?

Yes. The UK government conversion factors used to be published by DEFRA, then DECC and BEIS, and since 2023 by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). Many people still call them the DEFRA factors.

Do I need to include well-to-tank emissions?

They are Scope 3 category 3 (fuel- and energy-related activities). SECR doesn't require them, and PPN 006 doesn't list category 3 among its required Scope 3 categories, but including them gives a more complete footprint and some customers ask for them.

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