Container ship freight emission factor by year
| Year | Scope 3 (kg CO2e per tonne km) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.016120 | 0.0% |
| 2025 | 0.016120 | 0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.016120 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.016119 | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 0.016142 | 0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.016142 | 0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.016142 | 0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.016142 | – |
Total kg CO2e for the seven greenhouse gases, from the official DESNZ files for each year. 2026 factor ID: 27_320_3235_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 imported goods shipped 20,000 km from Asia. 2,000,000 tonne km × 0.016120 kg CO2e = 32.24 tonnes CO2e, reported as Scope 3, category 4 (upstream transportation and distribution).
How to report it
Shipping has a very low factor per tonne km, but long distances add up. Imported goods are Scope 3 category 4 when you arrange or pay for the freight.
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
- Long-haul air freight: 0.89939 kg CO2e per tonne km
- Average HGV (road freight): 0.10356 kg CO2e per tonne km
- Average refrigerated HGV: 0.12122 kg CO2e per tonne km
- All UK emission factors