Since 2024, many large logistics companies have been required to disclose sustainability and emissions data. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) makes sustainability measurable and demands a new level oftransparency from companies (European Parliament, 2022). Yet this is precisely where many fall short: the data they need for credible reporting is often incomplete, fragmented or even incompatible (Dayal S. Prasad, 2020).
Without usable data, there can be no sustainability. But this can be changed: the key lies in seamless data exchange, which can only be achieved with open, interoperable standards.
The logistics sector is digital, yet it remains largely fragmented. A Dutch survey shows that in around half of logistics companies, department-specific IT systems are barely interoperable with one another, if at all (TLN, 2019). This leads to considerable integration effort when exchanging data with partners and connecting new service providers – even where IT systems already exist, such as transport management or environmental monitoring software.
The problem can be illustrated particularly well using emissions data and standards. Here, the complexity of documenting emissions data in a comprehensive and traceable manner becomes apparent on two levels: technical and methodological.
From a technical perspective, companies record their emissions data using a wide variety of tools and formats. Whilst one organisation relies on standardised APIs, another exchanges CSV files via email. This leads to data loss, transmission errors and time-consuming manual consolidation.
Methodologically, the underlying calculation standards also differ:
Some companies use average consumption figures, whilst others rely on actual journey data.
The question of which transport legs (pre-carriage, main carriage, post-carriage) are included is also answered differently depending on the partner. The result: emissions are not comparable, and consistent reporting for customers, regulatory authorities or investors is virtually impossible. Taken together, these differences mean that whilst data is available, it is not compatible, comparable or reliable.
This fragmentation has consequences:
To make supply chains more sustainable, all stakeholders – from transport service providers to shippers – must continuously collect, exchange and make emissions data transparent in a standardised manner. This is particularly worthwhile for emissions data, as it needs to be updated regularly.
In short: those who do not have control over their data cannot demonstrate sustainability, let alone drive it. That is why seamless data exchange is essential for sustainable logistics.
The harmonisation and digitalisation of data transfer are fundamentally transforming logistics. When isolated systems are replaced by openly accessible, standardised IT solutions, interconnected data flows emerge that make sustainability measurable and controllable in the first place. Standardisation is not merely a technical detail, but the decisive lever for decarbonisation, efficiency and competitiveness in logistics (Stenzel, 2023).
Key implications:
Whilst the benefits of data exchange along the supply chain have been proven, there is often a lack of concrete incentives for the initial investment in standards, interfaces and expertise. Nevertheless, industry-wide initiatives, recognised studies and concrete best practices demonstrate that the consistent standardisation and digitalisation of data transfer is not only urgently needed but, above all, adds value. (Goasduff, 2021; Ströher, 2025)
That is why we are actively involved as a member of the Open Logistics Foundation. Together with the Foundation and many other companies, we are developing practical, open software and data standards, for example for automated emissions reporting and standardised data transfer between all stakeholders in the supply chain.
A joint working group is developing interoperable solutions that
The results are incorporated into concrete, ready-to-use tools and services – ranging from standardised data models to open-source solutions for the automated exchange of emissions data.
Read our blog article on this topic: eCMR Integration: How to digitise your consignment note
Companies that invest today in an integrated data infrastructure and sustainable interfaces are laying the foundations for efficiency, transparency and innovation. They provide customers and partners with traceable emissions data, meet regulatory requirements and position themselves as pioneers in sustainable supply chains. The future of logistics will be data-driven, collaborative and transparent.
Those who proactively shape this transformation will reap long-term benefits – and help ensure that economic, environmental and social goals are achieved in harmony.
Dayal S. Prasad, R. P. (2020). Critical Success Factors of Sustainable Supply Chain Management and Organisational Performance: An Exploratory Study. Transportation Research Procedia, 327–344.
Ella Mae Matsumura, R. P.-M. (1 March 2014). Firm-Value Effects of Carbon Emissions and Carbon Disclosures. The Accounting Review, pp. 695–724.
European Parliament. (14 December 2022). Directive (EU) 2022/2464 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 537/2014. From Directive (EU) 2022/2464 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on corporate sustainability reporting. Official Journal of the European Union, L 322, 21 December 2022: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2464/oj accessed
Goasduff, L. (20 May 2021). Data Sharing Is a Business Necessity to Accelerate Digital Business. (Gartner, Inc.) Retrieved 24 October 2025 from https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/data-sharing-is-a-business-necessity-to-accelerate-digital-business
Stenzel, A. W. (2023). Supply-chain data sharing for Scope 3 emissions. npj Climate Action.
Ströher, T. K. (2025). Bridging carbon data’s organisational boundaries: towards automated data sharing in sustainable supply chains. Electron Markets.
TLN, e. &. (2019). National Study on Data and Digitalisation in Logistics.
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