ABSTRACT
Smart or green freight represents the efforts to transform the freight and logistics sector so as to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. This is to be done by improving fuel efficiency across the global logistics supply chain without mitigating the sector’s vital economic functions.
Multinational firms and their brands undergo a growing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint and pollution impacts. This market pressure cascades down the global supply chain. Green freight programmes and initiatives respond to these business needs.
The chapter emphasizes that the world needs genuine smart freight leadership. Studies show that only a fraction of cargo owners takes up that role. A major barrier is a lack of standard methodologies to calculate their carbon footprint and define emission reduction targets.
To create and implement a universal method of calculating logistics emissions, the Smart Freight Centre developed the Global Logistics Emissions Framework (GLEC) together with industry and other stakeholders. If this framework is accepted by industry, governments and NGOs, it will be possible to track and compare emissions and use the data for better decision-making and reduction efforts.
