We’ve all seen the labels: carbon neutral, eco-friendly, sustainable choice. Often, these claims are backed by real efforts — recycled materials, lower energy use, and improved manufacturing processes. But one part of the story often stays in the shadows: transport.
From raw materials to finished goods on a shelf or doorstep, nearly everything we buy travels. And right now, much of that movement — by truck, ship, or plane — still depends on fossil fuels. Even the most climate-conscious company can't claim a truly low-emission supply chain if their logistics rely on diesel or heavy fuel oil.
The Transport Emissions Gap
Transport accounts for around a quarter of global energy-related CO₂ emissions, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). And a large share of that comes from moving goods — not people.
Freight transport alone accounts for roughly 8–11% of global greenhouse gas emissions — and more than 40% of all transport-related CO₂ emissions, based on estimates from the MIT Climate Portal and the Smart Freight Centre. With global trade and e-commerce continuing to grow, demand for freight is expected to triple by 2050.
But in many product footprints, logistics remains a blind spot — especially for companies that rely on international shipping or long-haul freight. While manufacturing emissions may be declining thanks to renewable electricity and cleaner processes, the fuels that power ships and trucks have largely remained unchanged.
Fossil-based fuels remain the standard in global logistics because they are built into existing infrastructure, supported by established supply chains, and currently the most cost-competitive option at scale.
The result? A product can be labelled “sustainable”, yet still carry a significant hidden footprint from fossil-fueled transport as it moves from factory to customer. This makes logistics a critical, yet often under-addressed, lever for real emissions reductions.
Why Offsetting Isn’t Enough
Many companies today use carbon credits or offsetting to balance their emissions, including those from logistics. But offsets don’t eliminate emissions; they just compensate them — often with mixed results in terms of effectiveness and transparency.
This gap between real emissions and perceived neutrality is something that can increasingly be questioned by consumers: is this product truly low-emission — or just labelled that way?
That’s where eFuels come in.
Real Emissions Reductions with eFuels
eFuels, such as eMethanol, are made using renewable electricity and captured carbon. When used in shipping or heavy transport, they offer a way to replace fossil fuels directly — significantly reducing lifecycle CO₂ emissions when produced with renewable power and sustainable carbon sources.
Unlike offsets, eFuels provide a drop-in solution that enables climate-aligned transport without needing to overhaul entire logistics systems. However, some applications may require adaptations to engines, fuel handling, or infrastructure — particularly in early deployment phases.
And unlike biofuels, they can be scaled without competing with food crops or biodiversity.
For companies, this means a real opportunity to cut Scope 3 emissions — the indirect emissions from suppliers and logistics partners — associated with logistics and shipping across global supply chains, and to deliver products that are sustainable all the way through the value chain.
What This Means for Consumers
As more companies turn to cleaner transport solutions, including electrification, sustainable fuels, and efficiency improvements, the impact will ripple through the entire economy. This shift is already underway in parts of the shipping industry, where alternative fuels like eMethanol are being introduced at commercial scale.
It means that low-emission truly starts to mean what it says — not just in the factory, but throughout the product’s entire life cycle.
For consumers, it means more transparency and trust in what a product label actually represents. It also means everyday choices — from furniture and electronics to clothing and cosmetics — can come with a smaller footprint.
And it means that sustainability isn’t just about how things are made, but also how they move.
Closing the Loop with eFuels
eFuels won’t solve every challenge in logistics, but they offer one of the most promising ways to address shipping emissions and other hard-to-abate segments of freight transport. They provide a scalable, fossil-free alternative that can help close the emissions gap in global supply chains.
As production scales and infrastructure develops, eFuels such as eMethanol are positioned to play a central role in enabling fossil-free logistics at scale. They represent a pathway toward fossil-free shipping solutions without compromise — where operational performance and climate considerations can go hand in hand.
The next time you see a product labeled “sustainable”, take a moment to think about how it got to you. Because how it travels is just as important as how it’s made.
