Work out your road freight emissions
= 8.10 tonnes CO2e in 2026 (Scope 3 (transport and distribution))
Each tonne-km × 0.135 kg CO2e, the Ministry for the Environment's 2026 figure (All trucks).
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Road freight emission factors in the 2026 guide
| Factor (as the Ministry names it) | Unit | kg CO2e | CO2 | CH4 | N2O |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All trucksFreighting Goods by Road › Freighting Goods by Road | per tonne-km | 0.135 | 0.1329 | 0.0001995 | 0.001888 |
| Long-haul heavy truckFreighting Goods by Road › Freighting Goods by Road | per tonne-km | 0.105 | 0.1034 | 0.0001552 | 0.001469 |
| Urban delivery heavy truckFreighting Goods by Road › Freighting Goods by Road | per tonne-km | 0.39 | 0.384 | 0.0005764 | 0.005456 |
CO2, CH4 and N2O are each gas's share of the total, in kg CO2e; a dash means the guide gives no figure for that gas. Every figure is from the 2026 guide; it is the only edition we hold, so there is no year-on-year column.
The Ministry's notes on these figures
- All trucks: Assumed diesel as 79% of goods vans/trucks and utility vehicles are diesel.
- Long-haul heavy truck: Assumed majority of long-haul heavy trucks are diesel.
- Urban delivery heavy truck: Assumed majority of urban delivery heavy trucks are diesel.
Worked example
Take 200 tonnes of goods carried 300 km by road in a year (60,000 tonne-km). 60,000 tonne-km × 0.135 kg CO2e = 8.10 tonnes CO2e, reported as Scope 3 (transport and distribution).
How to use it
Tonne-km is the weight carried (in tonnes) times the distance (in km). Multiply that by the factor for the truck type, or use all trucks when you do not know it. Urban delivery is much higher per tonne-km than long-haul.
Freight paid for by your business with a carrier is Scope 3 (upstream or downstream transport and distribution). Fuel for trucks you run yourself is Scope 1; use the diesel factor for those litres instead.
Which rules apply in New Zealand
The Ministry's guide is voluntary guidance for organisations measuring their greenhouse gas emissions, and follows the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1. Climate reporting entities under New Zealand's climate-related disclosures regime report under the External Reporting Board's Aotearoa New Zealand Climate Standards, and can use these factors for their Scope 1, 2 and 3 figures. Businesses of any size answering a customer's or a bank's request for emissions data can use them in the same way. Cite the guide and its year next to every figure.
UK companies with sites or staff in New Zealand should use these factors for that activity and the UK government factors for UK activity. In Carbon Recycling, set a site's country to New Zealand and its electricity is reported with the Ministry's factor. See reporting overseas sites for how the rest fits together.
Where to find your own figure
Your carrier's invoices or consignment notes give weights and origin and destination; many carriers will also send a yearly tonne-km summary on request.
Related emission factors
- Electricity (New Zealand): 0.07866 kg CO2e per kWh
- Natural gas (New Zealand): 0.1954 kg CO2e per kWh
- Diesel (New Zealand): 2.672 kg CO2e per litre
- All New Zealand emission factors
- New Zealand grid electricity (Ember's estimate, every year since 2000)
- UK emission factors and other countries
Source: Ministry for the Environment. 2026. Measuring emissions: A guide for organisations: 2026 emission factors (version 2). Crown copyright, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Carbon Recycling is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Ministry; the sums on this page are ours.