The Committee on Climate Change’s latest report to Parliament on progress towards reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions shows that there is still much work to do to get significant carbon reduction from freight. And the Freight Transport Association (FTA) – the UK’s biggest transport trade body – says more rapid change will only come with more Government support.
FTA Head of National and Regional Policy Christopher Snelling said: “In contrast to air quality where we have achieved an 80% reduction in local air pollutants from the latest diesel HGVs, progress in reducing GHG emissions is clearly slower and in many ways a harder problem to solve.”
FTA has been proactive in helping freight operators monitor and manage GHG emissions and fuel use with its Logistics Carbon Review Scheme (LCRS), which next week releases its 2017 annual report and review.
But for the logistics industry to reduce GHG emissions as quickly as possible, FTA says the Government must offer more support by:
- Examining the case for longer or heavier lorries on the strategic road network so that GHG per tonne can be reduced immediately
- Investing in rail and water freight infrastructure to enhance services, and reject the increases in the cost of rail freight that are being considered
- Supporting the roll-out of alternative road fuel infrastructure and reduce the taxes on them, so that they can become a viable alternative to diesel as soon as possible
The LCRS is a free industry initiative with more than 120 members whose positive actions have produced results – while emissions from the sector as a whole are not falling, LCRS members have seen a 7% reduction in the last five years. Further details on the scheme can be found at http://www.fta.co.uk/policy_and_compliance/environment/logistics_carbon_reduction_scheme.html.
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