Logistics industry driving towards delivering a greener future

Climate change is the greatest problem the world has faced in generations and, despite great efforts thus far, more must be done to save our planet.

In a bid to lead the way, Walkers Transport are planning to implement an Environmental Management System that is compliant with ISO 14001:2015. Our aim is to achieve certification at all Walkers sites by the end of 2022. The certification covers all areas of environmental impact control, including: ensuring proper waste management, promoting efficient use of resources and preventing environmental pollution.

Carbon Dioxide and other harmful gasses released by vehicles are some of the biggest contributors to global warming and the transport and logistics industry is coming together to turn the tide.

This has caused attention to turn greatly to HGVs in the logistics industry and a study by NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) reports that all new lorries must operate emissions-free from the 2030s onwards.

The government has set a target to reach net zero-emission status by 2050, which would be a first in Europe. However, reducing the fuel consumption of diesel lorries, shifting road freight to rail and the number of empty vehicles will only save the UK up to 20% of road freight greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Greg Archer, UK director at T&E, said:

“Achieving the UK’s climate goals will require lorries to be zero emission by 2050. An end to new diesel lorries during the 2030’s is both necessary and feasible by electrifying a new generation of vehicles, but this transition needs to start without further delay. There is therefore an urgent need to begin rolling out the charging infrastructure to support urban and regional deliveries.”

If we are to be successful in reaching the objective of decarbonising HGVs by 2050, T&E’s report finds that sales of new diesel lorries below 26 tonnes in weight must be phased out before 2035. For long-haul trucks weighing more than 26 tonnes, sales of new diesel lorries will need to end by 2040.

It is therefore evident that the UK’s transport and logistics industries are committed to becoming more environmentally friendly but Volta Trucks, a fully-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer, has called for greater ambition in the wake of the government’s Transport Decarbonisation plan. Chief Executive Officer of Volta Trucks, Essa Al-Saleh, said:

“The publication of the UK Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan is welcome because it gives British fleet operators and buyers a level of certainty that didn’t previously exist. That said, the ban on internal combustion engine trucks by 2040 is nearly 20 years away, and today’s climate emergency cannot wait. Trucks account for less than 2% of road vehicles but the relative share of truck emissions is certain to increase as emissions from passenger cars are driven downwards by the surge in the sales of electric cars.”

The process will take time and, to further highlight our desire to positively effect the environment, we at Walkers are doing our upmost to contribute. The first stage of which is signified by the switch to fully-electric warehouse sweepers at our Lichfield depot. Sweepers assist in keeping the premises safe and tidy for all vehicles that pull into our warehouses and are therefore an integral part of our daily operations.