ECG and Smart Freight Centre take next step in vehicle decarbonisation

The latest initiative involves the implementation and promotion of best practices in carbon measurement, management and reduction. It follows last year’s collaboration between ECG and SFC on a methodology to account for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ro-ro operations.

Together ECG and SFC will collaborate on three focus areas. The partners will promote the principles of SFC’s guide for shippers, carriers and logistics service providers on how to report emissions from logistics operations – the GLEC Framework, which ECG said is the most recognised industry guidance to report and calculate logistics emissions according to the ISO 14083 standard. The 200+ members of ECG will apply the sector specific guidance on emissions accounting and reporting set up by ECG and the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). In doing so members will ensure consistent, transparent and accurate reporting of carbon footprints, enabling them to track and manage their emissions effectively, said ECG. 

Secondly, ECG and SFC will continue collaborating on the guidelines and training programmes initiated last year which are tailored to the unique challenges of the vehicle logistics sector. These resources will empower companies to implement practical and effective greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategies across their supply chains, according to the partners.

The partnership will also focus on raising awareness among key stakeholders, including vehicle manufacturers, logistics providers and policymakers, about the importance of decarbonisation in vehicle logistics. ECG said the joint initiatives will be launched to advocate for supportive policies and encourage the adoption of sustainable practices industry wide.

“ECG and SFC already successfully collaborated in the past two years to support vehicle logistics operators to measure their carbon footprint,” said Frank Schnelle, executive director of ECG. “With sustainability increasingly becoming a critical focus in the automotive and logistics industries, our formal partnership with Smart Freight Centre will further help our members and their customers, the car manufacturers, to achieve their environmental and decarbonisation goals. Together, we aim to lead the way in reducing carbon emissions and setting new standards for sustainability in vehicle logistics.”

The ECG and VDA published the first methodology to calculate and report on automotive supply chain emissions in December last year.