With alternative fuels and enhanced logistics, carbon emissions in road freight transport can be reduced by nearly half between 2010 and 2050.
The Low Carbon Technology Partnerships Initiative, with Nestlé, Scania and UPS as founding companies, has set forth this ambitious objective making use both of well-established technologies and new solutions based on connected vehicles.
“Digitalisation will provide road haulage and transport buyers with a strong tool to take control of the entire logistic chain in order to optimise transport flows,” says Urban Wästljung, Senior Adviser at Scania. “Connectivity in combination with new vehicle technology and renewable energy is a game changer in the transition to a sustainable transport system.”
Key factors that reduce carbon emissions
In addition to optimised route and load planning, connectivity can be instrumental in improving actual driving operations with regard to fuel consumption, driver performance and other key factors that reduce carbon emissions.
Thus, road freight carbon footprint can be significantly reduced through higher operating efficiency, shared resources and improved information. As heavy vehicles increasingly become connected, and Scania alone can presently boast more than 160,000 globally connected trucks, new opportunities are opened to optimise fleet movement and make better use of existing fleets through enhanced route and freight planning.
While every sector – industries, retailers and transporters alike – is engaged in reducing its carbon emissions, many approaches are limited in scope. These can be much more effective through collaborative approaches. For example, even a fuel efficient truck operating with a low or empty load will generate unnecessary emissions.
A sustainable future for business and society
Meanwhile, it must be recognised that world is divided in freight operational efficiency. While carbon emissions have decreased among OECD countries with mainly large and advanced fleets, they continue to rise in developing countries, which are largely characterised by small and medium sized fleets. This gap needs to be closed. “Digitalisation can pave the way for swifter progress also in these markets by providing cost-effective incentives to achieve better logistic solutions,” says Wästljung.
The Low Carbon Technology Partnerships Initiative has been formed within the realm of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, an organisation of some 200 forward-thinking global companies committed to galvanising the global business community to create a sustainable future for business, society and the environment. The Low Carbon Technology Partnerships Initiative engages companies in developing low-carbon technology solutions for broad sectors, ranging from agriculture and forestry to transport and energy production.
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