But meeting government’s 15% reduction target by 2025 remains a challenge, warns industry body FTA.
UK logistics operators participating in a voluntary programme cut their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 4% in 2019 but industry body, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) warned that meeting the UK government’s 15% reduction target by 2025 remains “a challenge.”
Members of the FTA’s Logistics Emissions Reduction Scheme (LERS) also decreased their average kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per vehicle km to 0.72, from 0.75 in 2017 and 2016.
The outcomes are contained in the FTA’s 2019 Logistics Emissions Review, which includes the latest results of LERS, a voluntary group which seeks to improve the environmental performance of the logistics industry.
LERS members also support the government’s proposed 15% reduction target in HGV greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.
The FTA said the downward trend among LERS member organisations is “a positive and encouraging step towards ultimately achieving a net-zero emissions logistics industry.
“However, achieving the ambitious 15% reduction target will remain a challenge for industry in the short term.”
The report also illustrates members’ continued efforts to ensure they are operating the cleanest vehicles available, with 58% of the LERS group’s HGVs at Euro VI standard, up from the 48% in 2017.
This story is the same for vans, with 57% of members’ vans meeting the Euro 6 standard, an increase from the 44% figure from 2017.
In addition, there has been a “significant drop” in the use of Euro 3 vans – down from 22% in 2017 to just under 3%.
FTA’s environment policy manager, Rebecca Kite, said that LERS members have continued to achieve a downward trend in their emissions since 2010, adding: “The scheme has continued to grow throughout the past 12 months and now represents 142 members, accounting for 99,238 commercial vehicles.”
In 2019 the FTA launched an online guide specifically designed to provide fleet operators with advice on reducing their fuel consumption, as well as their emissions.
The results show that LERS members are 13% more fuel efficient than the industry as a whole.
Said Kite: “With this evidence, we can demonstrate to government that the industry is committed to climate change, without the need for additional regulations and taxation.”
Sponsored by Bridgestone and ExxonMobil, LERS is a free-to-join industry initiative to record, report and reduce carbon emissions from freight transport. For more information: http://lers.org.uk/
Source: Roger Hailey - www.lloydsloadinglist.com
- Log in to post comments
