Freight transport forms the backbone of today’s global economy; materials and products manufactured in one region are transported to another region along increasingly lengthy and complex transport chains, often involving more than one mode of transport as the product travels to its destination, stopping at warehouses, ports and terminals along the way.
However, the use of different approaches in different locations and for different activities along the supply chain leads to fragmentation in calculating and reporting emissions.
In an effort to bring more consistency in the calculation and reporting of emissions, Smart Freight Centre (SFC) has formed in 2014 the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC), a voluntary partnership of companies, associations and programs committed to the consistent calculation and reporting of emissions from logistics operations, with a view to using this information as the basis for targeted emissions reduction from the logistics sector.
Since 2012, the major container terminal operators in the European Union have created a voluntary methodology (the EEEG[1] Guidelines) which allows container terminals to calculate their CO2 emissions on a periodical basis.
“Sustainable port and logistics operations and the reduction of carbon emissions are among the top priorities for private port operators. For many years our members have taken voluntary concrete steps to reduce their emissions. We believe that industry actors remain best placed to take initiatives aiming at the necessary steps to continue to reducing emissions and we are doing it” continues FEPORT Secretary General.
“The Smart Freight Center’s Framework for Logistics Emissions Methodologies (GLEC) is now recognized as the logistics sector guidance by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard, the most widely-accepted GHG accounting practice. This is why FEPORT has decided to engage into an active cooperation with the Smart Freight Center” comments Ms. Lamia Kerdjoudj-Belkaid, FEPORT Secretary General.
Mr. Alan Lewis, GLEC Director at Smart Freight Centre observes: “Real life practical application is the next key step for the GLEC Framework to demonstrate its benefit across the transport chain. We are really looking forward to working with FEPORT and its members in their carbon calculation, reporting and improvement actions and integrating this with the rest of the GLEC Framework”.
“We are looking forward to transforming the Memorandum of Understanding signed with SFC into concrete and useful results” concludes Ms. Lamia Kerdjoudj-Belkaid.