CO₂ transparency in textile logistics for small shipments
Barth+Co partnered with shipzero to automate and scale precise CO₂e emissions calculations across its diverse textile logistics operations. This enabled unprecedented transparency for customers on emissions data throughout the supply chain.
Summary
Barth+Co faced the challenge of providing customers with detailed CO2e emissions calculations for numerous small shipments across various transport segments in the fast-paced fashion industry. Manual Excel-based evaluations no longer met growing customer demands and were insufficient for tenders.
By partnering with shipzero in 2020, the fashion logistics provider implemented precise emissions calculations within a few months. shipzero evaluated routes and implemented rules for modeled data to represent actual transport sections rather than theoretical shorter routes.
Barth+Co now consistently receives positive feedback from customers on how professional and clear the evaluations are, creating unprecedented transparency along the entire supply chain and meeting growing customer requirements for detailed reporting at the desired frequency.
Barth+Co uses shipzero to:
· Calculate precise CO2e emissions for numerous small shipments across various transport segments, replacing insufficient manual Excel-based evaluations
· Model actual transport routes with implemented rules that represent real transport sections rather than theoretical shorter routes
· Deliver professional and clear emissions reports to customers at the desired frequency, meeting growing demands for detailed transparency
· Create unprecedented transparency along the entire supply chain while staying up to date with evolving regulatory requirements
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Manual Excel-based emissions evaluations no longer met growing customer demands for detailed and transparent reporting and were insufficient for tenders in an industry with time-critical transports and complex partial loads.
shipzero implemented precise emissions calculations for numerous small shipments, evaluated routes, and created rules for modeled data to represent actual transport sections, enabling professional reporting at the desired frequency.
Challenge: Increasing requirements for professional emissions reporting
Like many logistics service providers, Barth+Co faced the challenge of establishing sustainable processes in an industry characterized by fast-paced changes and flexibility. Time-critical transports, inefficient "Garment on Hanger" transports for high-quality hanging goods, and partial loads with multiple loading and unloading points make reducing CO2e emissions significantly more difficult.
Additionally, there were increasing customer demands for detailed and transparent reporting, which Barth+Co could only create manually and selectively due to limited resources. Alexander Barth therefore looked for a professional service provider who could calculate CO2e emissions much more efficiently for the many small shipments and stay up to date with regulatory requirements.
“The Excel-based evaluations simply no longer met the growing demand and no longer helped us with tenders.”
Solution: Detailed emissions calculations for small shipments across various transport segments
When Barth began initial discussions in 2020, he came into contact with shipzero. Within a few months, shipzero enabled the fashion logistics service provider to produce precise emissions calculations for its customers.
After a thorough evaluation of routes, rules were implemented for modeled data to represent actual transport sections – for example, from Istanbul through several Eastern European countries to London – rather than theoretical shorter routes.
"The timing couldn't have been better. shipzero's approach sounded great – we haven't regretted the decision to work together to this day."
Results: Professional reporting and unprecedented transparency
The effort has paid off: The emissions management platform enables his company to meet growing customer requirements for detailed reporting at the desired frequency and has created unprecedented transparency along the entire supply chain.
The managing director praises the excellent communication with shipzero, noting that the company is proactively informed about innovations and receives immediate support when implementing new tools. The partnership has proven invaluable for creating transparency and optimizing processes in the fast-paced fashion logistics industry.
"We consistently receive positive feedback from our customers on how professional and clear the evaluations are."
Outlook: Expanding CO2e emissions to warehouses and CCF
The partnership between the two companies continues to deepen: in 2025, the CO2e emissions of warehouses will also be recorded. During the year, the collection and integration of the Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) as a mandatory component for the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is also planned. Barth+Co is thus intensifying its sustainability efforts even against the backdrop of the Omnibus Package proposed by the EU Commission.
“shipzero is and remains an important partner for us in achieving our own sustainability goals,” concludes Alexander Barth. “This partnership is invaluable, particularly for integrating technologies to create transparency and optimize processes.”
Barth+Co began its success story in textile logistics in 1959 as a traditional freight carrier, directly importing Italian fabrics from Prato near Florence. Over the decades, the Munich-based family business has transformed into a complete provider of transport, supply chain management, warehousing, and consulting services.
Barth+Co generates over 60 percent of its revenue (approximately €150 million annually) from fashion, delivering textiles – from raw materials like buttons and yarn to finished clothing from many well-known fashion brands – to Germany and fashion houses across Europe. The logistics service provider relies on long-standing partnerships with haulers for road transport and handles air and sea freight predominantly from Southeast Asia, China, Vietnam, and India through its sister company alpha trans. Last-mile delivery, department store supply, and returns management are handled by the subsidiary Deutsche Textil-Logistik.
Sustainability is a central pillar of the company's strategy, with green transformation beginning in 2012 and electric vehicles used for last-mile deliveries since 2015.
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