“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors: we borrow it from our children”
-- Native American Proverb
The above quote could not be more profound. We all have a requirement to look after the future (and present) of the planet, but we also need to ensure that the world supply chains continue to operate and it is critical that we continue to move our products around the world. However, it is also imperative that this is conducted in an increasingly sustainable manner, with companies and the consumer taking responsibility for improvements in the supply chain, wherever possible.
When moving goods around the world, a number of modes of transport will be used and all of these will have different carbon footprints and impacts on the planet.
In this section of the Knowledge Centre, we will cover the details around carbon calculators and how estimating your carbon footprint (and offsetting this carbon) is a critical first step in building a more sustainable supply chain. Logisto will be adding frequent articles to the Knowledge Centre on ‘green logistics’ in the coming months and so please ensure you revisit for increased content.
As always, we will also provide you with the details of carbon calculators that are available to you within the Logisto Directory.
Let’s get to it…
At Logisto, we believe that sustainability is everyone’s job and it is the foundation of sound business practice that also contributes to the long term success of the business, including better risk-adjusted returns for your customers.
What is a carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by the transport service(s) that are expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent. Greenhouse gases are emitted through the burning of fossil fuels, which then releases the gases, carbon dioxide and methane.
How can it be measured?
Calculating your exact carbon footprint is not easy but the industry has been developing and refining this in order to provide the most accurate results possible. Carbon calculators take industry averages for each mode of transport and then factor in elements such as weight, volume and distance to determine the carbon emissions. We won’t go into the scientific calculations here (trust us, they are quite complicated) but if you are interested in the detail, then the UK Government has a thorough paper that you can read here:
What can I do to about the carbon footprint from my logistics movements?
It is inevitable that we will have a carbon footprint when we move goods around the world, or within the UK. In fact, pretty much everything we do will have some element of carbon impact. The good news is that we can now reduce or remove this impact.
There are numerous ways that we offset the carbon we offset from our transport choices. From planting trees, to restoring water boreholes, to supporting wind power projects or energy efficient cooking stoves, there are numerous projects and changes that we can support that help to reduce the global carbon emission.
Of course, the above is great, but we also rely on technology to support our path to a more sustainable supply chain. Great strives have been made over the years, from the humble catalytic convertor, to improved ways of capturing and storing carbon, through to the renewable energy with minimal to no environmental impact. Whilst improvements are being made in logistics, it is certainly more difficult than it is with consumer products. For example, it is relatively commonplace to have an electric car, but it is another story trying to power an HGV by electric (or other means) that needs to traverse the length of the UK.
At Logisto, we have no doubt that these technological advances will come, but the major advancements have not happened yet. If we take ocean freight as a case study (a necessary industry), an industry that accounts for 3-4% of yearly global carbon emissions. The below 6 examples demonstrate what can be done to help alleviate the impacts but none of these alone will solve the problem:
Slow steaming – simply the process of running the vessels at slower speed results in a significantly reduced amount of fuel being consumed, resulting in less emissions
Journey optimisation – using technology to better plan a route (i.e. avoid stormy seas) results in more efficient journeys and reduced emissions
Design – Reshaping the ships hull so that it is able to cut through the water more efficiently, reducing resistance or utilising sky sails (utilising large kites and wind power to support propulsion) are just two examples of changes that can help significantly reduce the impacts of sailings. Note: If you would like to see more on how sky sails work, please see this fascinating video:
Port management efficiency – Optimising port management and refining processes to ensure vessels are routed into port, unloaded and moved on again as soon as possible, reduces idle time and therefore wasted fuel consumption (and emissions) at ports
Fuels – This applied to sea freight as much as any other mode of transport. The increased switch (technology permitting) to greener fuels and green fuel blends will help reduce the emissions of cargo ships
Green trends and technology are helping change the way we transport goods around the world, cutting fuel consumption, emissions and ultimately costs. Increasing green practices will find their way into logistics operations, supported by year-on-year improvements on technology.
How can I calculate my carbon impact?
Logisto have compiled a list of free carbon calculators that will help you to understand your carbon footprint. These are provided by logistics companies and can be found here:
https://www.carboncare.org/en/co2-emissions-calculator.html
https://logistics-carbon-calculator.co.uk/
https://kn1.ecotransit.org/kuehnenagel/
https://www.cevalogistics.com/en/eco-calculator
What companies can support me in reducing my carbon impact?
Now that you are aware of the impact, the question is how you can mitigate these impacts. Thankfully there are now a number of companies that are now supporting this very problem. We have detailed these within the LOGISTO Directory as well as providing a number of key suppliers below. We recommend reaching out to these companies to discuss your requirements and understand how they can help you with your sustainability agenda:
We are confident that the abovementioned businesses will be able to assist you with your green logistics journey, but as always, please reach out to the team if you have any questions and we will do our best to help.
Thank you
LOGISTO Team