A joint project aimed at making freight transport “climate-neutral” has resulted in a 120,000-tonne reduction in carbon dioxide emissions in 2008.
The news, announced at the Logistics & Transport fair in Gothenburg, Sweden, brings KNEG members (Climate-Neutral Goods Transport by Road) a step closer to their target of halving climate impact from road haulage by 2020.
The Centre for Environment and Sustainability has developed indicators for measuring and monitoring initiatives for climate neutral freight transport. These measurements show that the collective volume of carbon dioxide emissions from KNEG’s members fell by 120,000 tonnes in 2008 – equal to the annual emissions from around 2,300 heavy trucks.
The reduction was distributed over the following activities in 2008:
– 70,500 tonnes from use of more fuel efficient trucks
– 36,000 tonnes from low blending of bio diesel into fossil diesel
– 13,400 tonnes from training in eco driving
Lars Mårtensson, chairman of KNEG and environmental director of Volvo Trucks, said: “Now the results are starting to show, and they make a difference. The more effective and creative we are, the faster and more substantial improvements we can achieve.”
The KNEG collaboration for climate-neutral freight transport began in 2006 by its founders Preem, Schenker, Volvo Trucks, the Swedish National Road Administration and the Centre for Environment and Sustainability at Chalmers University of Technology and Gothenburg University.