LogisticsTransport & distribution

Logistics optimisation to cut transport & distribution emissions

The reduction potential, measured

88 /100

Time horizon: Immediate

How it cuts it

Choosing the right mode and route and bulk-bottling at destination directly cut distribution emissions.

What to measure for this pairing

% by seaTransport CO₂e/bottle

Why this source matters

Getting the wine to market is a significant fraction of the footprint, especially for exports. It depends on packaging weight, distance and mode — air freight is tens of times more intensive than sea.

Lightening packaging, bottling near the market (bulk shipping), consolidating loads and preferring sea to air reduce these emissions. It is a typical Scope 3 source.

Source indicators

kg CO₂e of transport per bottle% shipped by seaShipped weight per bottle

Scope & reporting: Scope 3 emissions, increasingly required by importers and retail with climate targets.

How to implement the lever

  1. 1Prefer sea freight over air.
  2. 2Consolidate loads and optimise routes.
  3. 3Assess bulk bottling at the destination.
  4. 4Log mode, distance and weight per shipment.

Frequently asked

Does bulk bottling at destination pay off?

In large volumes and long distances, shipping wine in bulk (denser and lighter than filled bottles) greatly reduces transport emissions and cost.

Does transport really weigh much?

It depends on the market, but for long exports it can rival packaging — especially if any air freight is involved.

Same lever, other sources

Same source, other leversTransport

Related reading →Bottling yield: how many bottles and cases will a tank give you?

How GrapeFlow helps

The footprint per bottle and per season, always up to date — the basis of any low-carbon report.

Carbon footprint per bottle & season

GrapeFlow gathers energy, fuel, packaging and inputs and computes the footprint per bottle and per season — the basis of any report or low-carbon label.

Packaging materials & bottle weight

Weight and composition of each bottle and material by SKU — to quantify and cut the largest footprint source.

Energy & fuels (invoices by OCR)

Electricity, diesel and other fuels captured from invoices, with consumption per kWh, per litre and per bottle.