Category 3: Transportation Emissions

Understanding Transportation Emissions

Category 3 under ISO 14064-1 covers indirect GHG emissions from transportation not covered in Categories 1 or 2. This includes transportation of materials, products, waste, employees, and business travelers using vehicles NOT owned or controlled by your organization.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              CATEGORY 3: INDIRECT GHG EMISSIONS FROM TRANSPORTATION             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                                 │
│  ┌─────────────────────┐  ┌─────────────────────┐  ┌─────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ BUSINESS TRAVEL     │  │ EMPLOYEE            │  │ FREIGHT                 │  │
│  │                     │  │ COMMUTING           │  │ TRANSPORTATION          │  │
│  ├─────────────────────┤  ├─────────────────────┤  ├─────────────────────────┤  │
│  │ • Flights           │  │ • Car commutes      │  │ • Upstream (inbound)    │  │
│  │ • Rail travel       │  │ • Public transit    │  │ • Downstream (outbound) │  │
│  │ • Car rentals       │  │ • Cycling/walking   │  │ • Third-party logistics │  │
│  │ • Taxi/rideshare    │  │ • Remote work       │  │ • Waste transport       │  │
│  │ • Hotel stays       │  │                     │  │                         │  │
│  └─────────────────────┘  └─────────────────────┘  └─────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                                                 │
│                Transportation NOT owned/controlled by your organization         │
│                                                                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Transportation Emission FormulaTransport Emissions = Distance × Emission FactorOr with weight:Freight Emissions = Distance × Weight × Emission Factor (per tonne-km)Where emission factors vary by transport mode, vehicle type, and load factor.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

Dcycle API credentials (get them here)
Travel records (bookings, expense reports, travel agency data)
Employee commuting survey data or estimates
Freight shipment records (origin, destination, weight)

Using the Dcycle App?Track transportation emissions through our web interface:

Business Travels - Log business trips
Employees - Track commuting patterns

Data Map: Category 3 Requirements

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      CATEGORY 3 DATA REQUIREMENTS                                       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                                         │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ BUSINESS TRAVEL                                                                 │   │
│  ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  │  Flight Data            Ground Transport        Accommodation                   │   │
│  │  ───────────            ────────────────        ─────────────                   │   │
│  │  • Origin airport       • Mode (rail/car)       • Hotel nights                  │   │
│  │  • Destination airport  • Distance              • Location/country              │   │
│  │  • Travel class         • Vehicle type          • Hotel type                    │   │
│  │  • Round trip?                                                                  │   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                                         │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ EMPLOYEE COMMUTING                                                              │   │
│  ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  │  Employee Info          Commute Details         Work Pattern                    │   │
│  │  ─────────────          ──────────────          ────────────                    │   │
│  │  • Employee ID          • Transport mode        • Days per week in office       │   │
│  │  • Work location        • Distance (one way)    • Remote work days              │   │
│  │  • Home location        • Vehicle type          • Period (start/end)            │   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                                         │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION                                                          │   │
│  ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  │  Shipment Details       Transport Mode          Load Information                │   │
│  │  ────────────────       ──────────────          ────────────────                │   │
│  │  • Origin location      • Road/Rail/Sea/Air     • Weight (tonnes)               │   │
│  │  • Destination          • Vehicle type          • Volume (m³)                   │   │
│  │  • Distance             • Carrier details       • Product category              │   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Business Travel

Track emissions from employee business trips including flights, ground transportation, and hotel stays.

Record Flight Travel

📋 Data Map: Flight Travel

Field	Type	Required	Description	Example
`transport_type`	string	✅	Type of transport	`"aircraft"`
`origin`	string	✅*	Origin airport code (IATA)	`"MAD"`
`destination`	string	✅*	Destination airport code (IATA)	`"LHR"`
`distance_km`	number	✅*	Distance in km (*either origin+destination OR distance_km)	`1264`
`start_date`	date	✅	Travel start date	`"2024-03-15"`
`end_date`	date	✅	Travel end date	`"2024-03-15"`
`travel_type`	string	❌	One-way or round trip	`"one_way"`, `"round"`
`travel_number`	int	❌	Number of trips (defaults to 1)	`1`
`renewable_energy`	string	❌	Uses renewable energy?	`"yes"`, `"no"`, `"do_not_know"`
`name`	string	❌	Employee name	`"John Smith"`
`email`	string	❌	Employee email	`"[email protected]"`

Where to get this data:

Travel bookings: Corporate travel systems, travel agencies
Expense reports: Employee expense claims
Airport codes: IATA 3-letter codes (e.g., MAD, LHR, JFK)

Distance or Locations RequiredYou must provide either distance_km OR both origin and destination. If you provide airport codes, Dcycle automatically calculates the distance.

import requests
import os

headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.getenv('DCYCLE_API_KEY')}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "x-organization-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_ORG_ID"),
    "x-user-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_USER_ID"),
}

# Record a business flight
flight_data = {
    "transport_type": "aircraft",
    "origin": "MAD",  # Madrid (IATA code)
    "destination": "LHR",  # London Heathrow (IATA code)
    "travel_type": "round",  # round or one_way
    "start_date": "2024-03-15",
    "end_date": "2024-03-15",
}

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.dcycle.io/api/v1/business-travels",
    headers=headers,
    json=flight_data,
)

travel = response.json()
print(f"✅ Business flight recorded: {travel['id']}")
print(f"   Route: {flight_data['origin']} → {flight_data['destination']}")
print(f"   Distance: {travel['distance_km']} km")
print(f"   CO₂e: {travel['co2e']} kg")
print(f"   ISO 14064-1 Category: 3 (Transportation)")

Automatic Distance CalculationWhen you provide information for origin and destination, Dcycle automatically:

Calculates the flight distance
Determines the aircraft size category (very short, short, medium, long haul) based on Ecoinvent classification
Applies the appropriate emission factor from Ecoinvent

Record Rail Travel

📋 Data Map: Rail Travel

Field	Type	Required	Description	Example
`transport_type`	string	✅	Type of transport	`"train"`
`origin`	string	✅*	Origin city/station	`"Madrid"`
`destination`	string	✅*	Destination city/station	`"Barcelona"`
`distance_km`	number	✅*	Distance in km (*either origin+destination OR distance_km)	`620`
`start_date`	date	✅	Travel start date	`"2024-04-10"`
`end_date`	date	✅	Travel end date	`"2024-04-10"`
`travel_type`	string	❌	One-way or round trip	`"one_way"`, `"round"`
`travel_number`	int	❌	Number of trips	`1`
`renewable_energy`	string	❌	Train uses renewable energy?	`"yes"`, `"no"`, `"do_not_know"`

# Record rail travel
rail_data = {
    "transport_type": "train",
    "origin": "Madrid",
    "destination": "Barcelona",
    "travel_type": "round",
    "start_date": "2024-04-10",
    "end_date": "2024-04-10",
    "renewable_energy": "do_not_know",
}

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.dcycle.io/api/v1/business-travels",
    headers=headers,
    json=rail_data,
)

travel = response.json()
print(f"✅ Rail travel recorded: {travel['id']}")
print(f"   CO₂e: {travel['co2e']} kg")
print(f"   (Rail typically 80-90% lower emissions than flying)")

Record Car Rental / Ground Transport

📋 Data Map: Car Travel

Field	Type	Required	Description	Example
`transport_type`	string	✅	Type of transport	`"car"`
`origin`	string	✅*	Origin location	`"Madrid"`
`destination`	string	✅*	Destination location	`"Toledo"`
`distance_km`	number	✅*	Distance in km (*either origin+destination OR distance_km)	`350`
`vehicle_size`	string	✅	Vehicle size (required for car)	`"small"`, `"medium"`, `"large"`
`fuel_type`	string	✅	Fuel type (required for car)	`"diesel"`, `"petrol"`, `"electric"`, `"hybrid"`, `"lpg"`
`start_date`	date	✅	Travel start date	`"2024-05-20"`
`end_date`	date	✅	Travel end date	`"2024-05-20"`
`travel_type`	string	❌	One-way or round trip	`"one_way"`, `"round"`
`travel_number`	int	❌	Number of trips	`1`

# Record car rental
car_rental_data = {
    "transport_type": "car",
    "vehicle_size": "medium",
    "fuel_type": "diesel",
    "distance_km": 350,
    "start_date": "2024-05-20",
    "end_date": "2024-05-20",
}

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.dcycle.io/api/v1/business-travels",
    headers=headers,
    json=car_rental_data,
)

travel = response.json()
print(f"✅ Car travel recorded: {travel['id']}")
print(f"   Distance: {travel['distance_km']} km")
print(f"   CO₂e: {travel['co2e']} kg")

Employee Commuting

Employee commuting covers emissions from the transportation of employees between their homes and worksites in vehicles not owned or operated by your organization. This includes:

Daily commuting: Regular home-to-work travel
All transport modes: Car, public transit, cycling, walking
Remote work: Zero emissions for work-from-home days
Carpooling: Shared vehicle emissions (divided among passengers)

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              ISO 14064-1 CATEGORY 3: Employee Commuting                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                             │
│  EMPLOYEE HOMES                               WORKPLACE                     │
│  ──────────────────                           ──────────                    │
│                                                                             │
│  ┌──────────────┐                            ┌──────────────┐               │
│  │   Home       │◄─── Car ──────────────►    │   Office     │               │
│  └──────────────┘                            │              │               │
│                                              │              │               │
│  ┌──────────────┐                            │              │               │
│  │   Home       │◄─── Train ────────────►    │              │               │
│  └──────────────┘                            │              │               │
│                                              │              │               │
│  ┌──────────────┐                            │              │               │
│  │   Home       │◄─── Bus ──────────────►    │              │               │
│  └──────────────┘                            │              │               │
│                                              │              │               │
│  ┌──────────────┐                            │              │               │
│  │   Home       │◄─── Bike ─────────────►    │              │               │
│  └──────────────┘                            │              │               │
│                                              │              │               │
│  ┌──────────────┐                            │              │               │
│  │   Home       │──── Remote ───────────     │   (0 km)     │               │
│  └──────────────┘                            └──────────────┘               │
│                                                                             │
│  DAILY ROUND TRIP:                                                          │
│  • Distance (km) × 2 (round trip)                                           │
│  • × Working days per week                                                  │
│  • × Emission factor (by transport mode)                                    │
│                                                                             │
│  INCLUDED:                             NOT INCLUDED:                        │
│  • Daily commute                       • Business travel (separate)         │
│  • All transport modes                 • Company vehicles (Category 1)      │
│  • Remote work tracking                • Customer/visitor travel            │
│  • Carpooling emissions                                                     │
│                                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Employee Commuting vs Business Travel

Employee Commuting: Daily travel between home and work
Business Travel: Trips for business purposes (meetings, conferences, site visits)

Using the Dcycle App?You can track employee commuting through our web interface:

Send employee surveys (ES) - Collect data via email
Manual entry for individual employees
CSV bulk upload for HR data

Data Map: Employee Commuting Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   EMPLOYEE COMMUTING DATA REQUIREMENTS OVERVIEW                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                                         │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ EMPLOYEE RECORD                                                                 │   │
│  ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  │  Required Fields              Optional Fields                                   │   │
│  │  ──────────────────           ──────────────────                                │   │
│  │  • origin OR total_km         • email                                           │   │
│  │  • destination OR total_km    • name                                            │   │
│  │  • transport_type             • vehicle_size                                    │   │
│  │  • weekly_travels             • fuel_type                                       │   │
│  │                               • renewable_energy                                │   │
│  │                               • carpool (true/false)                            │   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                                         │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ COMMUTING PERIOD (Employee Historic)                                            │   │
│  ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  │  Required Fields              Optional Fields                                   │   │
│  │  ──────────────────           ──────────────────                                │   │
│  │  • commuting_type             • situation                                       │   │
│  │    ("in_itinere")                                                               │   │
│  │  • start_date                                                                   │   │
│  │  • end_date                                                                     │   │
│  │  • daily_trips (default: 1)                                                     │   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                                         │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ CALCULATION FLOW                                                                │   │
│  ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  │  Origin + Destination ──► Distance (km) [one-way]                               │   │
│  │                                │                                                │   │
│  │  Weekly Travels ──────────────┼──► Working days in period                       │   │
│  │                               │                                                 │   │
│  │  Transport Type ──────────────┼──► Emission Factor (kg CO₂e/km)                 │   │
│  │                               │                                                 │   │
│  │  CO₂e = Distance × Days × Daily_Trips × EF × 2 (round trip)                     │   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  │  If carpool: CO₂e ÷ 3 (carpool factor)                                          │   │
│  │                                                                                 │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Weekly Travels (Working Days)

The weekly_travels field defines which days of the week the employee commutes:

Day	Value	Description
Monday	`0`	Included if present in array
Tuesday	`1`	Included if present in array
Wednesday	`2`	Included if present in array
Thursday	`3`	Included if present in array
Friday	`4`	Included if present in array
Saturday	`5`	Included if present in array
Sunday	`6`	Included if present in array

Examples:

Pattern	`weekly_travels`	Description
Full week (Mon-Fri)	`[0, 1, 2, 3, 4]`	Traditional 5-day week
3 days/week	`[0, 2, 4]`	Mon, Wed, Fri only
Hybrid (2 days)	`[1, 3]`	Tue, Thu in office
Full remote	`[]`	Empty = no commuting

Remote Work / TeleworkSet weekly_travels: [] (empty array) for fully remote employees. Dcycle will calculate zero commuting emissions for these employees.

Transport Types

Transport Type	Description	Typical EF Range
`car`	Personal vehicle	0.1-0.2 kg CO₂e/km
`bus`	Public bus	0.05-0.1 kg CO₂e/km
`train`	Commuter rail	0.03-0.05 kg CO₂e/km
`metro`	Urban subway	0.02-0.04 kg CO₂e/km
`trolleybus`	Electric trolley	0.02-0.04 kg CO₂e/km
`motorbike`	Motorcycle	0.08-0.12 kg CO₂e/km
`bicycle`	Cycling	0 kg CO₂e/km
`walk`	Walking	0 kg CO₂e/km

Vehicle options for cars:

Vehicle Size	Fuel Type	Description
`small`	`petrol`, `diesel`, `electric`, `hybrid`, `lpg`, `natural_gas`	Compact cars
`medium`	`petrol`, `diesel`, `electric`, `hybrid`, `lpg`, `natural_gas`	Sedans
`large`	`petrol`, `diesel`, `electric`, `hybrid`, `lpg`, `natural_gas`	SUVs

CarpoolingWhen carpool: true, emissions are divided by 3 (average carpool occupancy). This encourages shared transportation and accurately reflects the lower per-person emissions.

Step 1: Create Employee Records

📋 Data Map: Employee Record

Field	Type	Required	Description	Example
`origin`	string	⚠️	Home address/city	`"Madrid, Spain"`
`destination`	string	⚠️	Office address	`"Company HQ, Madrid"`
`total_km`	number	⚠️	One-way distance	`15`
`transport_type`	string	✅	Commute mode	`"car"`
`weekly_travels`	array	✅	Days in office [0-6]	`[0, 1, 2, 3, 4]`
`email`	string	❌	Employee email	`"[email protected]"`
`name`	string	❌	Employee name	`"John Smith"`
`vehicle_size`	string	❌	For cars	`"medium"`
`fuel_type`	string	❌	For cars	`"petrol"`
`carpool`	boolean	❌	Shared vehicle	`false`

⚠️ Conditional requirements:

Either origin + destination OR total_km must be provided

Where to get this data:

Home location: HR records, employee surveys
Transport mode: Employee surveys
Working days: HR/scheduling systems

import requests
import os

headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.getenv('DCYCLE_API_KEY')}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "x-organization-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_ORG_ID"),
    "x-user-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_USER_ID"),
}

# Example: Employee commuting by car (5 days/week)
employee = {
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "name": "John Smith",
    "origin": "Residential Area, Madrid",
    "destination": "Company HQ, Madrid Business District",
    "transport_type": "car",
    "vehicle_size": "medium",
    "fuel_type": "petrol",
    "weekly_travels": [0, 1, 2, 3, 4],  # Mon-Fri
    "carpool": False,
}

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.dcycle.io/api/v1/employees",
    headers=headers,
    json=employee
).json()

print(f"✅ Employee created")
print(f"   ID: {response['id']}")
print(f"   Email: {employee['email']}")
print(f"   Commute: {employee['origin']} → {employee['destination']}")
print(f"   Transport: {employee['transport_type']}")
print(f"   Days/week: {len(employee['weekly_travels'])}")

# Create commuting period
employee_id = response['id']

commuting_period = {
    "employee_id": employee_id,
    "commuting_type": "in_itinere",  # Home-work commute
    "start_date": "2024-01-01",
    "end_date": "2024-12-31",
    "daily_trips": 1,  # 1 round trip per day
    "origin": employee['origin'],
    "destination": employee['destination'],
    "total_km": 15,  # One-way distance
    "transport_type": employee['transport_type'],
    "vehicle_size": employee.get('vehicle_size'),
    "fuel_type": employee.get('fuel_type'),
    "weekly_travels": employee['weekly_travels'],
    "carpool": employee.get('carpool', False),
}

period_response = requests.post(
    "https://api.dcycle.io/api/v1/employees_historic",
    headers=headers,
    json=commuting_period
).json()

print(f"   Period: {commuting_period['start_date']} to {commuting_period['end_date']}")
print(f"   Distance: {commuting_period['total_km']} km (one-way)")
print(f"   CO₂e: {period_response.get('co2e', 'Calculating...')} kg")
print(f"   ISO 14064-1 Category: 3 (Transportation)")

Common Commuting Scenarios

# Example employees with different commuting patterns

employees = [
    # Full-time office worker (car)
    {
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "name": "Alice Johnson",
        "total_km": 20,
        "transport_type": "car",
        "vehicle_size": "medium",
        "fuel_type": "diesel",
        "weekly_travels": [0, 1, 2, 3, 4],
        "carpool": False,
    },
    # Hybrid worker (public transit, 3 days)
    {
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "name": "Bob Williams",
        "total_km": 12,
        "transport_type": "train",
        "weekly_travels": [1, 2, 3],  # Tue, Wed, Thu
        "carpool": False,
    },
    # Eco-commuter (bike)
    {
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "name": "Carol Davis",
        "total_km": 5,
        "transport_type": "bicycle",
        "weekly_travels": [0, 1, 2, 3, 4],
        "carpool": False,
    },
    # Remote worker
    {
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "name": "David Brown",
        "total_km": 0,
        "transport_type": "walk",  # Placeholder
        "weekly_travels": [],  # Fully remote
        "carpool": False,
    },
    # Carpooler
    {
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "name": "Emma Wilson",
        "total_km": 25,
        "transport_type": "car",
        "vehicle_size": "large",
        "fuel_type": "petrol",
        "weekly_travels": [0, 1, 2, 3, 4],
        "carpool": True,  # Shares ride with colleagues
    },
    # Electric car commuter
    {
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "name": "Frank Miller",
        "total_km": 30,
        "transport_type": "car",
        "vehicle_size": "medium",
        "fuel_type": "electric",
        "weekly_travels": [0, 1, 2, 3, 4],
        "carpool": False,
    },
]

# Create all employees
for emp in employees:
    response = requests.post(
        "https://api.dcycle.io/api/v1/employees",
        headers=headers,
        json=emp
    ).json()
    
    days = len(emp['weekly_travels'])
    remote = " (Remote)" if days == 0 else ""
    carpool = " [Carpool]" if emp.get('carpool') else ""
    
    print(f"   {emp['name']}: {emp['transport_type']} | {days} days/week{remote}{carpool}")
    print(f"      Distance: {emp['total_km']} km | CO₂e: {response.get('co2e', 'TBD')} kg/year")

print(f"\n✅ Created {len(employees)} employee records")

Step 2: Send Employee Surveys

Collect commuting data directly from employees via survey:

import requests
import os

headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.getenv('DCYCLE_API_KEY')}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "x-organization-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_ORG_ID"),
    "x-user-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_USER_ID"),
}

# Send survey to employees
survey_request = {
    "emails": [
        "[email protected]",
        "[email protected]",
        "[email protected]",
    ],
    "survey_type": "commuting",
    "message": "Please complete this short survey about your daily commute.",
}

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.dcycle.io/api/v1/employees/survey",
    headers=headers,
    json=survey_request
)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print(f"✅ Survey sent to {len(survey_request['emails'])} employees")
else:
    print(f"❌ Failed: {response.text}")

Survey QuestionsDcycle’s commuting survey asks employees:

Home location (address or postal code)
Primary transport mode
Vehicle details (if car)
Days worked in office per week
Carpooling (yes/no)

Step 3: Bulk Upload Employee Data

For organizations with many employees, use CSV upload:

CSV Format

email,name,origin,destination,total_km,transport_type,vehicle_size,fuel_type,weekly_travels,carpool
[email protected],"Alice Johnson",,,20,car,medium,diesel,"[0,1,2,3,4]",false
[email protected],"Bob Williams",,,12,train,,,"[1,2,3]",false
[email protected],"Carol Davis",,,5,bicycle,,,"[0,1,2,3,4]",false
[email protected],"David Brown",,,0,walk,,,"[]",false
[email protected],"Emma Wilson",,,25,car,large,petrol,"[0,1,2,3,4]",true
[email protected],"Frank Miller",,,30,car,medium,electric,"[0,1,2,3,4]",false

CSV Notes:

total_km is one-way distance (home to office)
weekly_travels use format "[0,1,2,3,4]" (JSON array as string)
Empty "[]" for remote workers
carpool: true or false

Upload CSV

import requests
import os

headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.getenv('DCYCLE_API_KEY')}",
    "x-organization-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_ORG_ID"),
    "x-user-id": os.getenv("DCYCLE_USER_ID"),
}

# Upload CSV file
with open("employee_commuting.csv", "rb") as f:
    files = {"file": ("employee_commuting.csv", f, "text/csv")}
    
    response = requests.post(
        "https://api.dcycle.io/api/v1/employees/bulk/csv",
        headers=headers,
        files=files
    )

if response.status_code == 200:
    result = response.json()
    print(f"✅ Uploaded {result.get('records_processed', 0)} employee records")
else:
    print(f"❌ Upload failed: {response.text}")

Commuting Reduction Strategies

Reduction Strategies for Employee Commuting

Remote work policy: Allow 2+ days WFH per week
Public transit subsidies: Incentivize train/bus use
Cycle-to-work schemes: Provide bike facilities and subsidies
Carpooling programs: Connect employees on similar routes
Electric vehicle charging: Install workplace chargers
Shuttle services: Provide company buses for major routes
Flexible hours: Avoid peak traffic (lower congestion emissions)

Upstream Transportation

Track emissions from inbound freight - materials and products shipped TO your organization.

📋 Data Map: Upstream Freight

Field	Type	Required	Description	Example
`direction`	string	✅	Upstream or downstream	`"upstream"`
`origin`	string	✅	Origin location	`"Shanghai, China"`
`destination`	string	✅	Destination (your facility)	`"Madrid, Spain"`
`transport_mode`	string	✅	Mode of transport	`"sea"`, `"road"`, `"rail"`, `"air"`
`weight_tonnes`	number	✅	Shipment weight	`25`
`date`	date	✅	Shipment date	`"2024-02-15"`

Where to get this data:

Shipment details: Supplier invoices, shipping documents
Weight: Bill of lading, packing lists
Origin: Supplier locations

# Record upstream freight shipment
upstream_freight = {
    "direction": "upstream",
    "origin": "Shanghai, China",
    "destination": "Madrid, Spain",
    "transport_mode": "sea",
    "weight_tonnes": 25,
    "date": "2024-02-15",
}

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.dcycle.io/api/v1/transport",
    headers=headers,
    json=upstream_freight,
)

shipment = response.json()
print(f"✅ Upstream freight recorded: {shipment['id']}")
print(f"   Route: {upstream_freight['origin']} → {upstream_freight['destination']}")
print(f"   Mode: {upstream_freight['transport_mode']}")
print(f"   Weight: {upstream_freight['weight_tonnes']} tonnes")
print(f"   CO₂e: {shipment['co2e']} kg")
print(f"   ISO 14064-1 Category: 3 (Transportation)")

Downstream Transportation

Track emissions from outbound freight - products shipped FROM your organization to customers.

# Record downstream freight shipment
downstream_freight = {
    "direction": "downstream",
    "origin": "Madrid, Spain",
    "destination": "Paris, France",
    "transport_mode": "road",
    "vehicle_type": "truck_40t",
    "weight_tonnes": 15,
    "date": "2024-03-20",
}

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.dcycle.io/api/v1/transport",
    headers=headers,
    json=downstream_freight,
)

shipment = response.json()
print(f"✅ Downstream freight recorded: {shipment['id']}")
print(f"   Route: {downstream_freight['origin']} → {downstream_freight['destination']}")
print(f"   CO₂e: {shipment['co2e']} kg")
print(f"   ISO 14064-1 Category: 3 (Transportation)")

Upstream vs Downstream Classification

Upstream: Inbound goods, raw materials from suppliers, waste sent for treatment
Downstream: Outbound products to customers, deliveries to distribution centers

Both are Category 3 under ISO 14064-1, but tracking separately helps identify reduction opportunities.

Query Category 3 Emissions

Retrieve all your transportation emissions for reporting:

# Get Category 3 emissions summary
response = requests.get(
    f"https://api.dcycle.io/api/v1/organizations/{os.getenv('DCYCLE_ORG_ID')}/emissions",
    headers=headers,
    params={
        "year": 2024,
        "category": "transportation",  # ISO 14064-1 Category 3
    },
).json()

print(f"📊 Category 3: Indirect GHG Emissions from Transportation (2024)")
print(f"")
print(f"   Business Travel:")
print(f"   - Flights: {response['flights']:,.0f} kg CO₂e")
print(f"   - Rail: {response['rail']:,.0f} kg CO₂e")
print(f"   - Car/Ground: {response['ground']:,.0f} kg CO₂e")
print(f"   - Hotels: {response['hotels']:,.0f} kg CO₂e")
print(f"")
print(f"   Employee Commuting: {response['commuting']:,.0f} kg CO₂e")
print(f"")
print(f"   Freight:")
print(f"   - Upstream: {response['upstream_freight']:,.0f} kg CO₂e")
print(f"   - Downstream: {response['downstream_freight']:,.0f} kg CO₂e")
print(f"")
print(f"   ─────────────────────────")
print(f"   TOTAL CATEGORY 3: {response['total']:,.0f} kg CO₂e")

Emission Factors

Dcycle uses emission factors from Ecoinvent 3.8 cutoff by classification for all Category 3 transportation calculations. Factors are automatically selected based on transport type, distance, vehicle characteristics, and regional variations.

Business Travel (Flights)

Emission Factor Sources

For aircraft travel, emission factors are selected based on:

Aircraft size category (very short, short, medium, long haul - determined by distance following Ecoinvent classification)
Origin location (regional adjustments)
Transport type (aircraft)
Renewable energy (if applicable)

Aircraft Size Categories

Dcycle automatically determines the aircraft size based on flight distance:

Distance (km)	Aircraft Size	Description
0 - 800	`very_short`	Regional/domestic flights
800 - 1,500	`short`	Short-haul flights
1,500 - 4,000	`medium`	Medium-haul flights
4,000+	`long`	Long-haul intercontinental flights

These distance thresholds are defined by Ecoinvent documentation for passenger air transport.Note: Cabin class (economy, business, first) is NOT used in calculations. Dcycle calculates emissions based on average passenger emissions per km for each aircraft size category from Ecoinvent.

Calculation Details

Business travel flight emissions are calculated as:CO₂e = Distance (km) × Emission Factor (kg CO₂e/passenger-km) × Trip MultiplierWhere:

Distance: Calculated from IATA codes or provided directly
Emission Factor: Based on aircraft size category (from Ecoinvent)
Trip Multiplier: 2x for round trips, 1x for one-way

Example (Madrid to London round trip):

Distance: 1,264 km (calculated from MAD → LHR)
Aircraft Size: short (800-1,500 km range per Ecoinvent classification)
EF: 0.255 kg CO₂e/passenger-km (Ecoinvent 3.8)
Trip: round (2x)

CO₂e = 1,264 × 0.255 × 2 = 645 kg CO₂e

Ground Transportation (Car & Rail)

Car Travel Emission Factors

For car travel (business travel and commuting), emission factors depend on:

Vehicle size: small, medium, large
Fuel type: diesel, petrol, electric, hybrid, LPG, natural gas

Calculation:CO₂e = Distance (km) × Emission Factor (kg CO₂e/km)Where emission factors are specific to the vehicle size and fuel type combination from Ecoinvent.

Rail Travel Emission Factors

For rail travel, emission factors depend on:

Origin location (regional grid factors for electric trains)
Renewable energy (yes, no, don’t know)

Rail typically produces 80-90% lower emissions than flying for the same distance.

Employee Commuting

Emission Factor Sources

Ecoinvent 3.8+ Cut-off

Lifecycle emission factors by transport mode
Regional variations where available
Covers cars, public transit, and active transport
Well-to-Wheel (WTW) factors including fuel production

Distance Calculation

When origin/destination are provided, distance is calculated using routing services. If geocoding fails or locations are unavailable, use total_km directly.

Calculation Details

Employee commuting emissions are calculated as:CO₂e = Distance (km) × Days × Daily_Trips × Emission Factor × 2 (round trip)Where:

Distance: One-way distance from home to office
Days: Number of working days in the period (based on weekly_travels)
Daily_Trips: Number of trips per day (default: 1)
Emission Factor: Based on transport type from Ecoinvent

If carpool: true, the result is divided by 3 (average carpool occupancy).Example (Car commute, 5 days/week):

Distance: 15 km (one-way)
Transport: car (medium, petrol)
Days: 250 working days/year
EF: 0.17 kg CO₂e/km

CO₂e = 15 × 250 × 1 × 0.17 × 2 = 1,275 kg CO₂e/year

Freight Transportation

Freight Emission Factors

For freight transportation, emission factors depend on:

Transport mode: road, rail, sea, air
Vehicle type: truck size, ship type, aircraft type
Load factor: weight transported in tonnes

Calculation:CO₂e = Distance (km) × Weight (tonnes) × Emission Factor (kg CO₂e/tonne-km)Emission factors from Ecoinvent account for:

Fuel consumption per tonne-km
Vehicle efficiency
Empty return trips (where applicable)

Transport Mode Comparison

Typical emission factors by transport mode (kg CO₂e per tonne-km):

Mode	EF Range	Notes
Air	0.5 - 1.0	Highest emissions, fastest
Road	0.05 - 0.15	Varies by truck size
Rail	0.02 - 0.05	Low emissions for bulk
Sea	0.01 - 0.03	Lowest per tonne-km

These are indicative ranges; actual factors depend on specific vehicle types and routes.

Best Practices

ISO 14064-1 Category 3 Best Practices

Prioritize by materiality: Focus first on largest sources (usually flights and freight)
Survey employees: Conduct annual commuting surveys for accurate data
Integrate booking systems: Connect travel management systems for automatic capture
Track trends: Monitor business travel patterns to identify reduction opportunities
Consider alternatives: Rail vs. air, video conferencing vs. travel

Calculate Emissions

ISO 14064

GHG Protocol

Use Case Tutorials

Advanced

Automation & AI

Understanding Transportation Emissions

Prerequisites

Data Map: Category 3 Requirements

Business Travel

Record Flight Travel

Record Rail Travel

Record Car Rental / Ground Transport

Employee Commuting

Data Map: Employee Commuting Overview

Weekly Travels (Working Days)

Transport Types

Step 1: Create Employee Records

Common Commuting Scenarios

Step 2: Send Employee Surveys

Step 3: Bulk Upload Employee Data

CSV Format

Upload CSV

Commuting Reduction Strategies

Upstream Transportation

Downstream Transportation

Query Category 3 Emissions

Emission Factors

Business Travel (Flights)

Ground Transportation (Car & Rail)

Employee Commuting

Freight Transportation

Best Practices

Next Steps

Category 4: Products Used

Back to ISO 14064 Tutorial

Calculate Emissions

ISO 14064

GHG Protocol

Use Case Tutorials

Advanced

Automation & AI

​Understanding Transportation Emissions

​Prerequisites

​Data Map: Category 3 Requirements

​Business Travel

​Record Flight Travel

​Record Rail Travel

​Record Car Rental / Ground Transport

​Employee Commuting

​Data Map: Employee Commuting Overview

​Weekly Travels (Working Days)

​Transport Types

​Step 1: Create Employee Records

​Common Commuting Scenarios

​Step 2: Send Employee Surveys

​Step 3: Bulk Upload Employee Data

​CSV Format

​Upload CSV

​Commuting Reduction Strategies

​Upstream Transportation

​Downstream Transportation

​Query Category 3 Emissions

​Emission Factors

​Business Travel (Flights)

​Ground Transportation (Car & Rail)

​Employee Commuting

​Freight Transportation

​Best Practices

​Next Steps

Category 4: Products Used

Back to ISO 14064 Tutorial

Understanding Transportation Emissions

Prerequisites

Data Map: Category 3 Requirements

Business Travel

Record Flight Travel

Record Rail Travel

Record Car Rental / Ground Transport

Employee Commuting

Data Map: Employee Commuting Overview

Weekly Travels (Working Days)

Transport Types

Step 1: Create Employee Records

Common Commuting Scenarios

Step 2: Send Employee Surveys

Step 3: Bulk Upload Employee Data

CSV Format

Upload CSV

Commuting Reduction Strategies

Upstream Transportation

Downstream Transportation

Query Category 3 Emissions

Emission Factors

Business Travel (Flights)

Ground Transportation (Car & Rail)

Employee Commuting

Freight Transportation

Best Practices

Next Steps