BNSF Railway Shipping Carbon Estimator

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Business Challenge:

Rail shipping offers significant GHG reduction opportunities for many customers, however, BNSF Railway needed a shipping carbon footprint estimation tool to more effectively communicate these savings to customers. The estimator would allow BNSF and their intermodal customers to understand and compare the carbon footprint/emissions associated with a BNSF rail shipment to a shipment using over the road trucking alternatives.

Our Approach:

• ClearCarbon interviewed BNSF and their customers to gain a complete and accurate picture of the rail, truck, and intermodal shipping processes as well as specific information relating to fuel consumption for different shipping options and distances.
• ClearCarbon researched current emissions factors from various sources and interviewed officials from the US EPA to determine the most accurate factors available for predicting carbon emissions associated with the various shipping scenarios.
• ClearCarbon worked with BNSF to understand how they and their customers could best benefit from a carbon estimating calculator.

 

Value Created:

ClearCarbon delivered a simple yet robust and accurate model for estimating carbon emissions associated with truck and rail shipments. By taking several factors into account this tool provides BNSF and their customers a more accurate comparison of the carbon footprint of multiple rail shipments. These shipments include varying methods such as mixed freight rail, intermodal, and long-haul trucking. Through this Carbon Estimator, BNSF is able to share the environmental benefits of their services with their customers, and the customers can now include carbon impacts in their shipping decision making process. See how BNSF is using the results of ClearCarbon’s services here:  BNSF Shipping Carbon Estimator

Project Staff

• Rich Baltimore