Activity data·Sector & specialist
How to measure emissions from Supplier liquid fuels
Supplier liquid fuels covers diesel or petrol combusted by upstream transport suppliers - hauliers, couriers, logistics providers - moving goods to you, reported under Scope 3 Category 4 rather than Category 1. Collect fuel volumes directly from your logistics supplier where shared under contract, or use freight distance and weight data to estimate consumption via the platform's freight-specific factors.
- Scope
- Scope 3 Category 4
- What activity data you need
- kWh, tonne, litre, £ Spend
- Activity data
- Sector & specialist
What counts as Supplier liquid fuels
Liquid fuel use by upstream suppliers - typically diesel or petrol combusted in a supplier's own vehicles, plant or generators - relevant to Category 4 (upstream transportation and distribution) where a haulier or logistics supplier's fuel use is the activity being measured.
Category 4, not Category 1: this page applies specifically to upstream transport and distribution suppliers - hauliers, couriers, logistics providers - where fuel use drives the emissions of moving goods to you. If the fuel purchase relates to a non-transport supplier's own operations, or if you're measuring your own fleet's fuel, use 'Liquid fuels' (Scope 1) or a general purchased-goods page instead.
How to collect the data
Use haulier or logistics supplier fuel consumption data where shared under a transport contract (litres or tonnes), or freight-specific spend/distance data to estimate fuel use via the platform's freight factors. Diesel and petrol (average biofuel blend) subtypes are currently available; match to the fuel your logistics supplier actually uses.
What activity data you need
Collect the most specific physical unit available. Unit definitions are in Appendix I — Description of Units.
- kWh
- tonne
- litre
- £ Spend
Which emission scope it falls under
Supplier liquid fuels activity data typically maps to Scope 3 Category 4 under the GHG Protocol. Confirm organisational boundary and ownership before reporting.
By emission scope
Compliance frameworks
Sub-types available in the platform
All 2 sub-types available in the platform.
- Diesel (average biofuel blend)
- Petrol (average biofuel blend)
Common questions
- Why is this Category 4 rather than Category 1?
- Category 4 specifically covers upstream transportation and distribution - moving goods to you - which is a distinct GHG Protocol category from the general purchase of goods and services (Category 1).
- Should we ask our haulier for fuel data directly?
- Yes, where the contract allows it - fuel consumption or distance/weight data from the haulier gives a more accurate result than a generic freight spend estimate.
- What if we only know distance or weight, not fuel volume?
- Use the platform's freight-related activity data (distance and load) as an alternative route to estimating the transport emissions, rather than guessing a fuel volume.
- Does this overlap with our own 'Liquid fuels' Scope 1 page?
- No - 'Liquid fuels' covers fuel your organisation burns in its own vehicles or plant. This page is for fuel burned by a third-party transport supplier moving goods on your behalf.
- How does the biofuel blend subtype affect the factor used?
- The diesel and petrol subtypes reflect an average biofuel blend consistent with typical market fuel composition; select the subtype matching the fuel type reported, and don't adjust the blend percentage yourself.
Next step
Start benchmarking your Supplier liquid fuels footprint
Apply matching emission factors in Compare Your Footprint and compare your footprint against sector peers.
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