The European Union has reached a political agreement on CountEmissionsEU, a regulation that introduces the first EU-wide standard for calculating greenhouse gas emissions across all transport modes. The measure is expected to transform how companies report sustainability data for both passenger and freight mobility.
Why it matters
For years, airlines, rail operators, logistics providers and mobility platforms relied on different calculation methods. That meant inconsistent data and poor comparability. CountEmissionsEU solves this problem by adopting a shared methodology, largely aligned with ISO 14083.
The regulation supports the EU’s long-term objective of reducing transport emissions by 90% by 2050.
“This is good for consumers, for the economy and for the planet,” said Angela Lille of BT4Europe.
Voluntary in theory, mandatory in practice
The regulation is voluntary — but with a twist:
any organisation that chooses to calculate or publish its transport emissions must use the EU method.
That makes CountEmissionsEU a de facto industry standard, with major implications for comparability and transparency.
EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport Apostolos Tzitzikostas called the move a “game changer” that will allow smarter decisions across all transport modes.
Tools to support implementation
The European Commission and the European Environment Agency are building:
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two open emissions databases
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a free calculation tool for transport operators
BT4Europe welcomed the initiative and urged the EU to expand it in future to include hotels, meetings and other elements of business travel.
Implementation timeline
Once officially approved:
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the regulation enters into force 20 days after publication
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full implementation becomes mandatory after 48 months
CountEmissionsEU marks a major step in Europe’s green transition, offering a unified, transparent and globally relevant model for emissions reporting in transport.