FREIGHT management software company Cario has partnered with Swinburne University of Technology to develop a carbon calculator for businesses consigning freight.
The calculator is an online tool designed to help businesses make informed decisions around shipment methods; for example, shipping via road freight versus rail freight.
Data scientists at Cario developed the carbon calculator based on a prototype created by undergraduate students and researchers at Swinburne in 2020.
Cario director Fiona Marshall said transport is responsible for 16% of Australia’s carbon emissions.
“It came as a no-brainer to partner with a top university like Swinburne to come up with an innovative technology that takes the industry one-step closer to being more environmentally friendly,” she said.
“Since launching the Carbon Calculator, our clients are becoming more acutely aware of their scope 3 carbon output as they can see how much [carbon dioxide] is emitted on each vehicle type/size and the portion of the load.”
Ms Marshall said the calculator shows users the number of trees that would need to be planted to offset emissions.
“The Carbon Calculator is a perfect example of the importance of bringing our next generation of logistics and freight industry leaders’ minds to the table to help solve real world problems and interact with industry partners in a dynamic way.”
And associate professor Hadi Ghaderi, discipline leader for logistics and supply chain management at Swinburne, said the university focuses on developing programs that prepare students for “careers of the future”.
“Having an industry partner like Cario involved with projects like these is in the DNA of the program. For the universities, it develops and strengthens linkages with industry, it delivers industry-ready graduates, and promotes the institutions’ expertise.
“For the students, it’s the real-world experience, new technical and soft skills, and chances to meet potential employers.”
