• Joan Ramon Morante, emeritus professor of Physics at the University of Barcelona, and Héctor Santcovsky, sociologist and former associate professor at UB, point in this article to the “it’s not mine” mentality as a dangerous evasion of responsibility that perpetuates fossil inertia.

  • Outsourced transport and logistics can account for up to 30% of the industrial carbon footprint, remaining under the climate radar and hindering a real energy transition.

  • The experts directly link the “non-integration” of logistics in decarbonization processes to the decline of European industrial competitiveness.

  • Measuring, prioritizing, and agreeing on the logistics scope are the three essential keys the experts propose to move towards a comprehensive and effective decarbonization of industry—one that, in declaring its carbon footprint, includes the share associated with its logistics needs.

September 5, 2025

The energy transition of industry has a blind spot. While factories strive to optimize processes and electrify consumption, a significant part of their carbon footprint literally travels by road, sea, and air—beyond their walls. As we explored in previous articles, it is necessary to adopt a 360+1 perspective: a comprehensive vision of decarbonization that incorporates, beyond efficiency and in-plant production, that decisive “+1” of mobility in the supply chain.

To delve into this often-overlooked link in the debate, we spoke with Héctor Santcovsky and Joan Ramon Morante. Their insights help us understand why industry will not achieve full decarbonization without fully incorporating the mobility associated with its supply chain.

Outsourced Logistics: The Great Carbon Black Hole

Energy-intensive industries already generate high levels of direct emissions. However, when we add transport associated with heavy raw materials, long journeys, or international exports, the impact grows significantly. This additional component can account for between 10 and 30% of a product’s carbon footprint in Scope 3—that is, emissions generated in the value chain but not directly controlled by the company producing the good—and represents around 8–10% of mobility fuel consumption.

“The core issue is that transport falls under Scope 3, and many companies treat it as ‘it’s not mine,’” Santcovsky notes. “It’s delegated to the logistics operator (3PL) and negotiated on price and lead time, with no climate targets or real data.” This short-term mindset creates a gap: the procurement department seeks cost reductions, sales demand quick delivery, and logistics, working on minimal margins, responds with offers based solely on cost—not on grams of CO₂ per ton-kilometer (gCO₂/t-km). It is a vicious circle that perpetuates fossil inertia in industrial transport.

A Multimodal Strategy to Integrate Logistics into Decarbonization

Integrating transport transition requires, according to our experts, an industrial policy that acts simultaneously on several fronts:

  • Reduce and shorten: the most effective measure is reducing kilometers by shortening distances in the supply chain.

  • Change mode and energy: it is essential to rethink network design to prioritize more efficient modes such as rail and to boost the use of renewable energy. This implies electrifying repetitive routes (with ultra-fast charging points – MCS – and green power purchase agreements – PPAs – at plants) and deploying alternatives such as biomethane/HVO in dedicated fleets, green hydrogen in pilot corridors, and e-fuels for maritime and aviation.

  • Change procurement criteria: the strongest lever is to tender logistics contracts with clear decarbonization KPIs (gCO₂/t-km), require serious monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems, and adopt an internal carbon price to guide business decisions.

Electron and Molecules: A Strategic Marriage, Not a Competition

When faced with the question of which technology to prioritize, the experts’ response is clear and strategic. As we summarized in our article “Let’s Not Let the Electron Walk Alone”, direct electrification is the top priority option—but it cannot do everything.

“The merit order is clear: direct electrification first, renewable molecules second,” they state. The electron takes precedence where it is technically and economically viable: motors, compressors, heat pumps, electric furnaces, and low-temperature heat (<300–400 °C), as well as internal logistics and repetitive transport routes.

Renewable molecules (green hydrogen and its derivatives such as ammonia and e-methanol, as well as biomethane) are reserved for the toughest challenges: high-temperature heat (>700–1,000 °C), raw materials for the chemical or steel industries, and heavy long-haul transport, maritime and air. Their role in seasonal storage is also crucial.

Europe and the Risk of Non-Integration

What lies ahead for the future of European industry if it ignores this comprehensive transition? Morante and Santcovsky are clear: “Non-integration is a strategy of decline,” they warn. A more expensive and fragile industry, dependent on gas and price shocks, with stranded fossil assets. The loss of competitiveness would be evident in the face of requirements such as the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the flight of investments to jurisdictions with clearer—or looser—rules.

The demands of the Europe–USA tariff agreement, especially with Trump’s insistence on energy purchasing, will not make things easier. Moreover, Europe is falling behind in new value chains crucial for the future, such as batteries, power electronics, synthetic fuels, and advanced recycling.

A Message for Industry Leaders

Against this backdrop, the final message for energy and sustainability leaders is clear and concise: measure, prioritize, and agree.

  • Measure: an aggregate figure is not enough. Logistics Scope 3 must be measured by specific corridors or “lanes.”

  • Prioritize: act where the impact is greatest, prioritizing by cost per ton of CO₂ avoided (€/tCO₂). First, optimize the network and mode of transport; then, the vehicle’s energy. It is necessary to avoid chronic “pilotitis”—the tendency to carry out multiple pilot projects without large-scale implementation—and instead bet on long-term contracts (5–10 years): PPAs for electric charging, purchase agreements for biomethane and e-fuels, or risk-sharing guarantees.

  • Agree: sustainability departments must ally with procurement, logistics, and finance to establish an internal carbon price and turn 2–3 critical logistics corridors into showcases of low-carbon competitiveness with binding 2030 targets.

Transport is not an appendix to industry but an essential component of its functioning. Industrial decarbonization cannot remain a partial optimization exercise: it will either be comprehensive, or it will not be. Ignoring the mobility associated with products and processes would leave the energy transition halfway, compromising both competitiveness and the sector’s sustainability.