The Green Miles nine question decarbonisation challenge

Stephanie biog:  As a Senior Policy Manager working on decarbonisation, Stephanie's role involves working with Logistics UK’s whole policy team, since the net zero agenda touches on many policy areas including in devolved policy, skills, regulations and infrastructure.

Prior to joining Logistics UK, Stephanie's background was in sustainability and finance so she is hoping to bring these experiences to her role at Logistics UK and help members make progress in this space. Going back further, her first logistics role was driving an ice cream van.

9 below zero...

9. What are the biggest common sustainability challenges facing the whole logistics sector in your opinion?

From what I’m hearing from members, some of the biggest challenges are stemming from a lack of clarity over what they should be doing by when. To me, a lack of clarity equals delays. For example, there’s still chatter around hydrogen, but we’re hearing from the Climate Change Committee that hydrogen won’t play a role in HGV decarbonisation. We are hearing that electrification is the preferred path for many companies, but at the same time there are reports of 10-15 year wait times for depots to be connected to the grid. Logistics UK has been calling for a roadmap to net zero for the logistics sector, and this would definitely be helpful to members in addressing some of these challenges.

Longer term, I think some of the biggest common sustainability challenges are, and will continue to be, energy supply and demand, but also that energy produced is green. Logistics is a foundational sector, but it will rely on the decarbonisation of other sectors like energy to achieve its decarbonisation goals.

8. What are the hottest topics in decarbonisation for the HGV sector?

Given how much I’ve heard our members talk about electrification of their commercial fleets, any advancements in eHGV range and payload is hot and exciting. I had the pleasure recently of visiting the Commercial Vehicle Show and seeing firsthand some of the frontrunner technologies that our members are trialling and, ultimately, purchasing. It’s great to see firsthand how technological advancements in this area are achieving results which are tangible, useful, and relevant.

Additionally, it isn’t possible to ignore energy as a hot topic for HGV decarbonisation. These eHGVs are going to need huge amounts of power, and the charging infrastructure – both public and private – is lagging behind. I’m getting more involved in energy conversations since joining Logistics UK a few months ago, and I know this is a hot topic for members as it’s essential for them to meet their decarbonisation goals.

7. Do you think the UK’s net zero goals are realistic?

The UK’s net zero goals are legally binding, so we have to do everything we can to meet them. We will be fundamentally changing our status quo across all industries, including logistics, so it will take innovation and creativity to meet these goals. I have already seen members embarking on their decarbonisation journeys and take risks and seize opportunities, and I am encouraged by the pace of technological advancements for the sector, even in the last few years! I think collaboration is key as we must all play a part in meeting the UK’s net zero goals.

6. What are the specific challenges faced by the different modal sectors?

Different modal sectors are all facing the pressure to decarbonise their operations. We hear a lot about the challenges and opportunities for the road transport sector because this is the sector which has traditionally had the biggest focus because emissions from road transport are significant. However, looking at other modal sectors, including air freight and water freight, it’s clear that these hard-to-abate sectors have their own unique challenges.

I think a common challenge is infrastructure and grid capacity. If transport moves towards electrification, then the power generated must be clean, green power in order to facilitate a zero-emission transition. Some ports already have some electric cranes, but if all of this infrastructure will need to electrify, and if cargo ships and vessels electrify, then the amount of power needed to charge these vessels at dock will be massive.

For air freight, we’re already seeing the rollout of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate as of this year, and this requirement is set to increase substantially. Aviation being a hard-to-abate sector is particularly challenging, and there are goods which need to be moved much more quickly, which means air freight will always have a significant role to play in the logistics space.

5. What are the best examples of positive breakthroughs you have seen in the last decade?

There have been a lot of positive breakthroughs, especially in terms of infrastructure and technology developments for EVs, as well as instrumental collaborations between industry and policymakers.

• A decade ago, there was very limited choice in terms of electric commercial vehicles, so seeing that companies now have a much better choice in terms of vehicle size, payload and range ability is extremely positive.
• The amount of charging infrastructure which is now installed across the UK compared to a decade ago is certainly a move in the right direction too. There’s still a lot more to do, especially in making public charging infrastructure available to commercial vehicles, but it’s incomparable to the infrastructure availability a decade ago.
• We have been involved in some fantastic collaborations, including with other trade associations on the ZE Van Plan, working as well with the Department for Transport as part of the Freight Energy Forum, and many others. I really believe that for the UK to meet its Net Zero goals, we will need to collaborate and work together to enable an environment which is prepared and able to transition to zero emission vehicles. I am certainly inspired by the achievements of Logistics UK as well as many of our members and other organisations.

There’s still a long way to go, but sometimes looking back on how much has changed in the previous 10 years can be encouraging!

4. Who is an inspirational figure in logistics?

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many inspirational figures in logistics since joining Logistics UK, and so many of our members are taking strides to decarbonise. I think there are some highlight stories which the Green Miles magazine has already done so well to identify and showcase!

3. With the growing emphasis on sustainability, do you see rail freight competing with road and air transport?

I think it’s better to consider the increase in collaboration opportunities for rail freight with other modes. Rail freight is absolutely a great and sustainable option for freight movement in the UK, but rail works best in collaboration with other modes, including road as often there is a necessity for last mile deliveries from rail depots.

2. How do logistics companies deal with ‘first mover hesitancy’?

That depends who you ask! There are already a serious number of “first movers” in this space, and that’s something that the recent Motor Transport Decarbonisation Power Players revelation has really highlighted. There are loads of great companies and individual champions who are spearheading the decarbonisation conversation and movement, which is really building the case for fleet decarbonisation. This year’s winner – Geoff Tomlinson – and other winners and runners up can really speak to both the challenges they’ve faced, as well as how they have seized the opportunity too.  

I can definitely understand the first mover hesitancy, especially because the upfront cost of alternatively fuelled vehicles is much higher than their ICE equivalents, but we are hearing more stories from these first movers, and hopefully this momentum will continue and inspire other companies to decarbonise.

1. What does 2025 look like for logistics decarbonisation?

2025 will definitely continue to be a year of innovation and progress in logistics, especially as we continue to watch for outcomes from the ZEHID project amongst other projects, so for us, we’ll be continuing to work with members and identifying where we can support them in shaping our policy asks around decarbonisation. Making sure access to funding and support from government is available is crucial as the transition is an expensive one, but a mandatory one!

Published On: 20/05/2025 13:00:00