Total Carbon Footprint

A total carbon footprint sums the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to a voyage, ship, or company across the chosen accounting boundary, expressed in CO2 equivalent. For shipping the boundary choice decides the number: tank-to-wake counts only combustion onboard, well-to-wake adds the upstream emissions of producing and delivering the fuel, and full corporate accounting under the GHG Protocol adds Scope 3. The well-to-wake basis matters most for alternative fuels: green ammonia or green hydrogen is near-zero tank-to-wake but carries real upstream emissions unless made from renewable electricity. FuelEU Maritime and the IMO mid-term measures both move toward well-to-wake fuel intensity, so footprint claims must state their boundary.