5 ways can be used to lower the carbon footprint.

The major of logistics players worldwide don’t even measure their CO2 emissions. It follows that they are also highly unlikely to be taking measures voluntarily to reduce them.

Transportation companies are part of the supply chain. A growing number of larger non-haulage corporations are very conscious of their environmental impact and demand relevant emission numbers from their suppliers. That is so they can be seen to be at least monitoring the environmental impact of their supply chains.

The following are the 5 ways can be used to lower the carbon footprint:

1. Fuel is the most significant contributor to your CO2 emission level

That is perhaps stating the obvious but it makes sense to address the bigger causes first. Even very minor changes will be multiplied by the sheer volume of fuel consumption and may deliver excellent results.

Fuels such as liquid hydrogen are still in the early stages of commercial development and are not something that can be adopted today. Green diesel and other biofuels suffer from poor availability of refueling points.

2. Switch to a green electricity supplier and switch from gas to electricity

Both gas and electricity generate carbon emissions for every energy unit you consume. However, the carbon profile of electricity has diminished in recent years, while that of gas has not changed much, if at all. That’s due to changes in the electricity generating industry because of the greater proportion of supply by wind farms and solar too, to a lesser extent.

Low and zero-carbon electricity suppliers promise to reduce your company’s carbon footprint. This is a burgeoning sector on the UK utility scene, with companies such as this one offering zero-carbon electricity.

3. Insulate

One of the oldest and longest-standing energy savings methods has often been overlooked by the industry. Older industrial units are notoriously energy inefficient in general. There is always scope to retrofit insulation on floors, walls, ceilings, roofs, windows, doorways, and docking bays.

4. Know your suppliers and their carbon footprint

Indirect carbon emissions count too and your supply chain is a major contributor. A McKinsey investigation reported that the supply chains of many consumer companies generate far more emissions and environmental impact than the company’s own operations.

Knowing what your supply chain’s carbon emissions are is one thing. Managing them is a different matter. The Warwick Business School, part of Warwick University published a very useful guide on How to manage your supply chain’s carbon footprint.

5. Improve waste management – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Aim for a zero-waste approach for immediate environmental benefits. That starts with assessing how and where your company currently generates, manages, and disposes of waste. No business is likely to ever achieve 0% waste but publishing that as a target internally focuses minds on proactive ways of achieving as close as possible to zero.