Logistics sector leads carbon debate as FTA launches scheme
Thursday 15 July 2010
An industry-led voluntary scheme to record, report and reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from the UK freight sectors, which was founded in January 2010, has now officially launched and already represents the activities of over 37,000 commercial vehicles.
The Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme (LCRS) is managed by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and this ground-breaking initiative positions the logistics sector in the lead as Government challenges business to respond to national and international climate change targets. The scheme does this by capturing the progress that individual businesses within the sector are achieving in reducing fuel use, for example through collaboration, investment in low carbon vehicles, use of low carbon fuels and eco-driver training. Scheme members use a single reporting framework, based on wider Government-led business reporting requirements, to track emissions. FTA then consolidates these individual returns to create a collective signatory picture.
The Scheme provides a simple and cost-effective way for businesses of all sizes to use the same measurement techniques to measure carbon dioxide emissions from logistics activities and report them on a common basis. Initially it will focus on carbon dioxide emissions arising from the combustion of fuel in commercial vehicles, the largest source of emissions in the logistics sector, but will be extended over time to cover the other modes and activities in the supply chain, including rail freight, shipping and aviation, manual handling and warehousing.
FTA’s Simon Chapman is leading the LCRS project. He said:
“The Scheme gives individual businesses the tools and the confidence to join in the response to the climate change challenges that confront us all. Even small businesses can use the Scheme to measure carbon dioxide emissions in the same way as the largest operators do. The LCRS allows the logistics sector to stay one step ahead of government legislation and to get the credit for the improvements in efficiency that it is continually making.”
The 37 launch members of the scheme represent a wide range of business sectors, including major logistics providers, retailers, manufacturers and local authorities. The Scheme is managed by a working group of environmental managers drawn from the launch members.
Data collection to establish a baseline of emissions will commence straight away and work is currently underway to agree a reduction target that will be announced in the autumn. In addition to a reduced carbon dioxide figure the reduction target will be expressed in terms of the required improvements in key logistics parameters necessary to bring it about, such as empty running and vehicle fuel efficiency.
Membership of the Scheme remains open to all commercial vehicle operators to join and an application pack can be obtained from Rachael Dillon, FTA’s Climate Change Manager, at rdillon@fta.co.uk.
ENDS
Notes for editors
1. There are 37 members of the LCRS, representing 37,278 commercial vehicles (26,091 hgvs, 11,187 vans).
2. Originally launched in January 2010, the LCRS is an industry led approach to recording and reporting carbon emissions instigated and developed by members of FTA’s Logistics Carbon Working Group. The launch members of the LCRS include:
3663 Wholesale and Bidvest Logistics
Arla Foods
Boots UK Limited
C Brewer & Sons Ltd
Caerphilly County Borough Council
Canute UK Ltd
Carlsberg UK Ltd
Ceva Logistics
Clipper Logistics Group Ltd
Detention & Escorting, G4S Care & Justice Services (UK) Ltd
DHL
EDF Energy
Eddie Stobart Ltd
Frank Roberts & Sons
GeoPost UK Ltd
Greenstar Verdant
Howard Tenens
John Lewis Partnership
JW Suckling Transport Ltd
Kuehne + Nagel
Lenham Storage Co Ltd
Maritime Transport Ltd
Marshalls plc
Menzies Distribution Ltd
Norbert Dentressangle Transport Ltd
Norbert Dentressangle Logistics Ltd
OCS Group UK Ltd t/a Cannon
Owens (Road Services) Ltd
P&O Ferrymasters Ltd
Perth & Kinross Council
South Tyneside Council
TDG UK Ltd
TNT UK Limited
Warburtons
Wolseley UK
Viridor
3. Participants provide fuel data which is then converted to carbon emissions and aggregated into one carbon account to give a picture of industry’s contribution to reducing its carbon impact. The scheme will report industry’s progress against absolute targets and will also track changes in emissions relative to business activity.
4. The Carbon Reduction Commitment already sets a carbon price for energy consumption by major UK companies and there are plans to introduce mandatory reporting of carbon emissions from 2012.
For further information please contact FTA’s media team on 01892 552255/01892 552253 or, out of hours, on 07818 450425.
FTA Press Office
01892 552255
press.office@fta.co.uk
