Carbon dioxide emissions from international air freight

Greenhouse gas emissions from international air transport were excluded from reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol, partly because of difficulties with quantifying and apportioning such emissions. Although there has been a great deal of recent research into calculating emissions from aeroplane operations globally, publicly available emissions factors for air freight emissions are scarce. This paper presents a methodology to calculate the amount of fuel burnt and the resulting CO2 emissions from New Zealand’s internationally air freighted imports and exports in 2007. This methodology could be applied to other nations and/or regions. Using data on fuel uplift, air freight and air craft movements, and assumptions on mean passenger loadings and the mass of passengers and air freight, CO2 emissions factors of 0.82 kg CO2 per t-km and 0.69 kg CO2 per t-km for short-haul and long-haul journeys, respectively, were calculated. The total amount of fuel consumed for the international air transport of New Zealand’s imports and exports was calculated to be 0.21 Mt and 0.17 Mt respectively, with corresponding CO2 emissions of 0.67 Mt and 0.53 Mt.

► Methodology to calculate CO2 emissions from international air freight is presented.
► Representative data on fuel uplifts were used in the calculations.
► EFs of 0.82 kg CO2 per t-km and 0.69 kg CO2 per t-km for short- and long-haul journeys.
► Total CO2 emissions from air freighting NZ’s 2007 imports and exports was 1.2 Mt.
► Emissions factors (EFs) derived are likely to be applicable to other nations.