Sustainability

Carbon offsets are a growing alternative or additional step toward reducing emissions in sectors like transportation.

“The conversation around empty miles is not a new conversation,” said Jennifer Wong, head of sustainability at Convoy. But now it’s about more than just saving money.

FreightWaves adviser Matt Waller answers questions about shifting priorities that may include sustainability.

Folding five empty shipping containers into the space of one could curb smuggling, save shippers money and reduce emissions.

While hydrogen fuel cells offer a promising alternative to ozone-threatening diesel engines, creating an electric-friendly infrastructure will require dedication from government regulators, equipment manufacturers and industry players alike.

The Securities Exchange Commission, in a 3-to-1 vote, has given initial approval of a rule that would require all public companies to report on the climate-related impact of their businesses.

Covering a tractor and trailer in solar panels could potentially generate more than 18,000 watt hours of energy per day in California conditions.

With more than $200 million in incentive funding being released Wednesday in California, fleets are placing larger orders for electric trucks.

Tracks emissions technology will help project44 customers measure and mitigate scope 3 supply chain emissions, which are currently difficult to track.

Airbus is investing heavily in making planes that can fly entirely on sustainable aviation fuel as a bridge to hydrogen power.

Data can help identify causes of inefficiency and inform better decision-making.

Convoy has released its Q1 2022 Carrier Sustainability Survey in conjunction with this week’s Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS). 

Maersk will deploy 300 Class 8 electric trucks from Einride in its U.S. warehouse and distribution network.

“With every SAF deal, we are increasingly aware of the huge task that lies ahead in utilizing more sustainable solutions to help our customers,” said John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express.

Experts discuss how environmental impacts and supply chain resilience are becoming increasingly important.

In partnership, FreightWaves and Convoy recently released a report on the awareness and impact of empty miles.

Estimates are for increases in supply of several hundred percent, raising the question of whether there are enough raw materials to reach those renewable diesel goals.

“Solving the climate emergency and decarbonizing our customers’ supply chains is a strategic imperative for Maersk,” said CEO Soren Skou.

“This exceptional group of women have persevered through the uncertain times brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, exhibiting the true example of a leader,” said Ellen Voie, WIT president and CEO.

Rising sea levels and increasingly extreme weather are expected to cost ports and shippers billions of dollars annually.

“I think we’re looking at the beginning of the largest commodity market we’ve ever seen,” said Peter Fusaro, founder of the Wall Street Green Summit.

The six companies plan to produce at least 730,000 metric tons of green methanol by the end of 2025.

Vessel strikes are a major threat to whales, so better monitoring of their locations could help reduce collisions.

According to the most recent U.N. climate change report, the impacts of global warming are becoming more widespread and severe across the world.

In general, land-based oil spills are more time-intensive to clean up, but oil spreads out more rapidly in water.

“Ranges for zero-emission trucks are improving over time with battery technology advancements,” said Yin Qiu, data scientist at Calstart.

Nominated as finalists, Peggy Arnold, Francis Hernandez and Courtney Ohlandt are focused on safety and getting the job done.

EV growth will sustain its momentum in light- to medium-duty trucks and begin to catch on for the heavy-duty trucks in regional hubs.

Hyper rail systems could transport containers to and from ports quickly, according to WickedHyper’s CEO.

“Today, no area on the planet is left untouched by plastic pollution, from deep-sea sediment to Mount Everest. The planet deserves a multilateral solution ­that speaks from source to sea,” said Amina J. Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the U.N.

As You Sow graded companies based on their progress toward achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Decreasing turnover rates and making companies more efficient requires job transparency to pull in the right people and maintaining a constant state of innovation to attract more people.

“Relative sea-level rise and the increased frequency and severity of storms are already affecting port activity, infrastructure and supply chains, sometimes disrupting trade and transport,” the report said.

Expanding highways can come with a variety of other unintended consequences, too, such as congestion off of highways in nearby cities, as well as air pollution.

JLE Industries is considering a variety of solutions to help more than 70% of its customers satisfy their ESG mandates.

They say April showers bring May flowers, but Spring Free EV is skipping right to the flowers with a new financing model for fleet owners and drivers.

Energy generated by the solar panels will charge the battery and power liftgates and ancillary equipment.

The procurement module will help companies find more sustainable suppliers, said Ethan Soloviev, chief innovation officer at HowGood.

“We are excited to help usher in a new era of intelligent, modern logistics with a focus on sustainability for our customers, our employees, our shareholders and our planet,” said Lily Shen, CEO and president.

Australia’s Zoomo, which builds light-electric bikes geared toward last-mile delivery services, gets a funding boost.

“Partnering with Bunker Holding will accelerate the marine industry adoption of biodiesel to achieve aggressive carbon reduction goals,” said Bob Kenyon, senior vice president of sales and marketing at REG.

Nexxiot co-founder Daniel MacGregor chats with FreightWaves’ Tyler Cole about how data and Internet of Things can impact sustainability.

“The more we talk about data you need to be specific about what data you want to get and what purpose you want to get the data for,” said Rik Arends, program director at Smart Freight Centre.

Of 18 companies that Friend of the Sea evaluated, it identified Hapag-Lloyd as “the international shipping company most committed to minimizing the risk of whale ship strikes.”

“Removing plastic waste is a priority when discussing the protection of our oceans and conserving biodiversity,” CMA CGM Group said.

Green ammonia production emits no carbon dioxide, but it has major safety, cost and scaling hurdles to overcome.

The European Union announced this month that it will begin to label some nuclear power and natural gas plants, under certain conditions, as sustainable investments or “transitional green energy sources.”

A carbon price is an “essential element in any decarbonization plan,” John Butler, president and CEO of WSC, said during a press conference Thursday.

“This deal is a great opportunity to accelerate our joint sustainability efforts. SAF has a lot of potential to reduce CO2 emissions,” said Adriaan den Heijer, executive vice president at AFKLM Cargo and managing director at Martinair.

Value Maritime has developed a system to capture carbon onboard vessels, fill up CO2 batteries and use the captured carbon dioxide in greenhouses.

“Efficiency is the place to start. Look for opportunities to collaborate,” said Ryan Purcell, senior director of supply chain, global health and development at Coupa Software.

AskWaves dives into the potential benefits and drawbacks of using blue hydrogen on the path to green hydrogen.

With convenience and sustainability top of mind for consumers and retailers, Ohi is starting carbon-neutral deliveries in under two hours.

“A complete transition to ZET technology would not only help mitigate the impacts of climate change and poor air quality but could eventually lower total cost of ownership for fleets and create job growth in the U.S.,” the report said.

Sustainability leaders like Convoy are advocating for the freight industry to focus its attention on working to decrease carbon emissions and eliminate waste.

“We’re not looking to replace trains. We’re looking to augment trains with a system that is trying to be competitive as an alternative to trucks,” said Matt Soule, co-founder and CEO at Parallel Systems.

UP will examine the locomotives’ performance at its yards and in California and Nebraska and see how the locomotives can be deployed for long-haul service.

“I do believe that companies can make this profitable for themselves,” said Zsofia Agnes Nagy, supply chain adviser at BZLW Consulting.

The two rules are designed to work together, one aimed at OEMs and the other at buyers of their products.

“International collaboration is essential to decarbonize global supply chains. It’s time to get started on this important work,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.

These days, seasonality has become nothing short of unpredictable. 

Despite voluntary sustainability efforts and increasing regulations, shipping emissions are on the rise.

Volkswagen aims to support sustainability in shipbuilding and ship recycling through the initiative, said Simon Motter, head of Volkswagen Group Logistics.

The less-than-truckload service provider is using low-carbon diesel, efficiency improvements and electrification to reduce emissions.

The infrastructure, cost and emissions benefits of renewable natural gas make it a promising alternative fuel to decarbonize trucking, experts said.

Clean air regulators have to play the long game with short-term updates, the latest of which comes from New Jersey. 

Renewable natural gas (RNG) is the leading low carbon solution that helps trucking companies and shippers reduce their carbon footprint and meet their sustainability goals.

Kubed Living is turning shipping containers into homes, offices and gyms.

“We founded Parallel to allow railroads to open new markets, increase infrastructure utilization and improve service to accelerate freight decarbonization,” said Matt Soule, co-founder and CEO at Parallel Systems.

“An earlier transition will allow more gradual changes, thereby reducing the risk of significant disruptions of the sector and of asset stranding,” the report said.

“We need to be able to not only get that data, but as a transportation industry, we need to understand how to interpret that data,” said Brad Benbow, business growth investments at Ardagh Group.

“Climate protection is an issue that impacts everyone. While we can work towards this goal internally, we also wanted to provide an opportunity to enroll our customers in our mission toward carbon neutrality,” said Mark McCullough, Gebrüder Weiss USA CEO.

Marketing and sustainability go hand in hand in the success of any organization, and the balance of the two in the media can widely affect the perception of the organization.

North American freight railroads can pursue sustainability that not only benefits customers but also the railroads’ bottom line, according to panelists at a Transportation Research Board session.

“This year will be the year for Maersk to ensure green solutions are developed end to end,” said Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO of fleet and strategic brands at Maersk.

Transport refrigeration company Thermo King’s R452A refrigerant will reportedly reduce carbon emissions by 50%.

Google-backed Nuro has released its third-generation delivery vehicle, simply called Nuro, and will partner with Kroger to roll it out in Houston.

A bill in the state of New York proposes environmental and social disclosure requirements for fashion companies.

“The first thing to do is to have an understanding of what type of offset it is that you’re looking for because there’s quite a range of pricing,” said Andrew Hall, director of sustainable finance at Trayport.

The year 2023 and beyond could boost railcar production volumes for Greenbrier as global low-carbon mandates drive freight to rail, say Greenbrier executives.

“We’ll see real progress as more companies have leadership at the highest levels in the company focused on sustainability and incorporating sustainability into business strategy,” said Susan Uthayakumar, chief sustainability and energy officer at Prologis.

“2022 must be the year where commitments are turned into concrete steps and binding regulations,” said Madeline Rose, climate campaign director at Pacific Environment.

“Absolute figures are always dependent on transport activity. But if you have the emissions intensity, you as a shipper or a freight buyer can make a very educated decision,” Moritz Tölke, technical manager at the Smart Freight Centre, told FreightWaves.

Deutsche Post DHL Group is ranking its road transport subcontractors on their level of sustainability.

Shippers increasingly search for suppliers with sustainable operations.

While many companies put environmental concerns on the back burner the past two years, “the topic has very much returned to the top of the agenda for most leading players in the industry today,” said Greg Hewitt, CEO at DHL Express USA.

Reducing empty miles will have a bigger impact on reducing carbon footprint compared to electrification and alternative fuels until 2034.

Renewable diesel continues to grow in popularity due to its emission-reduction potential and health benefits for workers and surrounding communities.

Experts across the supply chain weigh in on the most impactful sustainability trends in 2021.

“Demand for RNG will continue its rapid growth trajectory. We are in the early days of seeing corporate goals to reduce carbon turned into actual actions,” Greg Roche, vice president of sustainability at Clean Energy, told FreightWaves.

“This is not optional. This is going to be a core part of how we think about our investments going forward,” Jon Bradford, a partner at Dynamo Ventures, said.

The three companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue the demonstration project to test the feasibility of hydrogen-powered locomotives.

TLDR: In which the author’s heart is broken and put back together again over sustainable fuels. Or, the bull case for renewable natural gas (RNG) in transportation. Low carbon fuels: […]

It’s these kinds of advances that will push the industry toward complete visibility and decarbonization.

TLDR: United: Sustainable AF. Sustainable jet fuel is having a moment. But why? And what exactly is SAF again? This week, United Airlines operated the first-ever passenger flight using 100% […]

United Airlines is getting lots of attention with bold statements that it hopes to fly hydrogen jets in seven years and supersonic jets by the end of the decade.

The white paper tests a hypothesis that shippers struggle to move beyond green initiatives that coincide with what is also financially beneficial.

“In the longer term beyond the mid-2030s, EVs are the biggest factor, but the 2030s are a long time away,” said Aaron Terrazas, director of economic research at Convoy.

Making freight and logistics activities sustainable in the Asia-Pacific region is anything but simple.

California regulators want to use a combination of onboard monitoring devices to measure truck emissions.