SQAS 2025 in force per 09/15/2025

As communicated by CEFIC, the SQAS questionnaires have been changed (see www.sqas.org/news). From 15 September 2025, all assessments must take place with these questionnaires. From that date, assessments may no longer be conducted with the SQAS 2022 version. There is no transition period. Only intermediate assessments for score enhancement are still allowed based on the SQAS 2022.

In this SQAS 2025 version, there are major changes in how to calculate CO₂ emissions and CO₂ emission intensity.

The method has been aligned with ISO 14083 and the GLEC Framework version 3.1 but has a stricter interpretation in key areas. This means that the calculations as made under the 2022 version no longer comply with it.

You will therefore have to adopt a completely different methodology and sometimes record more, detailed data. We therefore advise you to start early, because if your source data are not correct or complete, a positive score is no longer possible for many questions.

Important changes include:

CO₂ calculation / Green House Gases

The SQAS is stricter than ISO 14083/GLEC regarding the use of PRIMAIRY data. Both fuel consumption and tonne-kilometre calculations MUST be based on PRIMAIRY data for own vehicles and the vehicles of Fully Integrated Subcontractors (FIS). So, the litres filled, the actual kilometres driven and the net weight of the load must be primary data. The kilometres and net weight must be determined per transport order. If route planner software is used for kilometre calculation, this will not result in a positive score.

All activities must be broken down into so-called Transport Operation Categories (TOC’s) or Hub Operation Categories (HOC’s). Several levels have been defined for this purpose. Whereas previously the distinction between e.g. Bulk and Packed was sufficient, now a further division must take place. For further explanation, please refer to GLEC and SQAS TS Chapter 9 where the TOC/HOC methodology is explained. In Module 5 of GLEC, Chapter 4.1 Step 1 provides a detailed overview of TOC’s is distinguished. In the case of Tank Cleaning, Warehousing or Depot, the same approach applies regarding HOC’s.

Transport activities MUST be distinguished by Transport Operation Category (TOC) at level 3. For example, a transport company that transports packaged cargo in Full Truck Load, Partial Load and Groupage must distinguish these activities as FTL, PL and Groupage in the calculation of its CO₂ emissions. For a bulk carrier transporting both dry and liquid bulk, a subdivision into dry bulk and liquid bulk must take place, further distinguishing at Level 3 by type of units (tank trailer, tank container, silo trailer, silo container). Here, the fuel consumption of the specific vehicles should be allocated to the activity on level 3 (TOC) and should not be based on a percentage distribution based on numbers of vehicles or other estimates.

From Non-Integrated Subcontractors (NIS), the data should be requested for the trips performed for you as the main carrier. If these data are not available, secondary modelled data (route planner) and “default” emission values may be used for NIS transport. Here, a shortest distance (SDF) and a distance correction factor (DAF) are used to calculate tonne-kilometres if the fuel data of the NIS transports are known. In the calculation, the DAF factor may then again not be included in combination with Default emission factors, as here the distance correction factor is already incorporated.

Transport companies who receive the single paid assignment to transport (reposition or shunt) an empty container are now allowed to use the tare value of the container as net load weight. If the empty container is transported in a round trip where it has been loaded for part of the transport route (usually in dedicated transport or the return trip from the unloading point to the depot), this transport is considered empty kilometres in the Transport Chain Element and the weight of the container may not be included.

All accredited SQAS assessors are explicitly instructed by Cefic to disapprove CO₂ calculations from own units and Fully Integrated Subcontractors, which are not based on primary data, and to score negatively during the assessment.

The questions in this chapter also have a structure, whereby if a question is not scored positively at the beginning, it will carry over into the questions further down the chapter.

Other changes:

Multiple questions have been merged in the amended SQAS. These include questions on recording and investigating incidents and questions related to vehicle and site maintenance, among others. These questions may be randomly assessed from September, with the assessor determining the sample.

In addition, new questions have been added to the questionnaire. Most of these relate to CO₂ management.