From Data to Decarbonisation: SFC–TERI Whitepaper Anchors India’s Freight Emissions Accounting
New Delhi, February 10, 2026 — Smart Freight Centre (SFC) India, in collaboration with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and IIM Bangalore, released a white paper titled Institutionalizing Freight Emissions Accounting in India: Pathways for Clean Freight Programs and Policy Integration. The launch took place at the high-level convening, “Road to Zero Emissions: Measuring and Reporting Freight Emissions,” held in New Delhi.
The event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and technical experts to advance a shared understanding of how consistent, transparent, and India-relevant emissions measurement can support the decarbonisation of freight transport, one of the fastest-growing contributors to transport emissions in the country.
The Whitepaper proposes a nationally harmonised approach aligned with ISO 14083 and the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) Framework, while incorporating India-specific emission factors and local data realities. It outlines a practical roadmap for operationalising a Clean Freight Program for India, supported by multi-stakeholder governance and a digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) framework.
You cannot decarbonise what you cannot measure. The development of standardised methodologies and India-specific emission factors strengthens the technical basis for informed, targeted interventions. Hence this whitepaper provides India with a practical, institution-ready blueprint to make freight emissions accounting credible, comparable, and actionable at scale
Deepali Thakur
Senior Technical Manager
Emphasizing the strategic importance of measurement, TERI highlighted the need for standardization to unlock effective climate action in freight.
Measuring freight emissions is the critical first step. An India-relevant, standardized approach can reduce fragmentation, improve comparability, and provide a credible foundation for targeted decarbonization, transparent reporting, and participation in emerging compliance and carbon-market mechanisms
Sanjay Seth
Senior Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Programme, TERI
From a policy perspective, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry underscored the role of emissions accounting in strengthening India’s logistics ecosystem.
Going ahead Freight emissions accounting will need to be integrated with other pillars of logistics infrastructure, supporting efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability together
Sagar Kadu
Director (Logistics), DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India
Linking freight emissions to air quality outcomes, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) highlighted the relevance of freight corridors and logistics hubs.
Freight transport is a major source of NOx, SOx, PM, and black carbon, with emissions concentrated around logistics hubs and major corridors. Addressing hotspots such as Delhi NCR can create scalable, emissions-led models for other regions facing similar PM and NOx challenges
Dr. Virinder Sharma
Member (Technical), CAQM
Highlighting the value of evidence-based decision-making, academia and industry collaboration was emphasised by IIM-Bangalore.
Such frameworks enable more targeted and proportionate interventions, helping policymakers focus on fleet modernisation, cleaner technologies, and zero-emission freight solutions where they are most effective
Dr. Aditya Gupta
COO, TCI -Supply Chain Sustainability Lab and Supply Chain Management Centre, IIM-Bangalore
The event also marked several key launches, including:
- India special Electric Vehicle Emission Factors developed by IIM-Bangalore and SFC
- Demonstrations of the Transportation Emissions Measurement Tool (TEMT) to support transparent, decision-useful reporting
- Release of TERI’s Clean Freight Program: Baseline Study (Phase-II)
Together, these initiatives aim to strengthen India’s readiness for future disclosure requirements and enable a credible transition toward low- and zero-emission freight transport.
The whitepaper can be accessed here.
About TERI
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), based in India, is an independent, multi-dimensional research organization with capabilities in policy research, technology development, and implementation. An innovator and agent of change in the energy, environment, climate change and sustainability space, TERI has pioneered conversations and action in these areas for nearly five decades. Headquartered in New Delhi, it has centres in six Indian cities and is supported by a multidisciplinary team of scientists, sociologists, economists, engineers, administrative professionals, and state-of-the-art infrastructure.
For more information, contact:
Dr Ipshita Mitra – ipshita.mitra@teri.res.in
About Smart Freight Centre
Smart Freight Centre (SFC) is a globally active non-profit organization driving climate action in the freight sector. Our mission is to mobilize the logistics ecosystem- industry, policymakers, and partners- to measure, report, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the global supply chain, enabling a transition to zero-emission logistics by 2050 in line with 1.5°C pathways.