Transport is an important factor in the context of sustainable development because of its pressure on the environment, its economic and social impacts and its linkages with other sectors.
The transport is one of the sectors with the greatest possibilities of becoming one of the most environmentally friendly. Nowadays, committing to a green planet is one of the objectives that should be in the DNA of the logistics sector.
One of the EU's pollution targets is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions: by 2030, levels should be 40% lower than in 1990. The best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to use non-fossil fuels, such as natural gas or new technologies.
Sustainable fuel alternatives and how they benefit the environment
That the transport has made sustainability one of its main objectives, has led it to make use of other energy options: clean fuels.
Clean fuels are energy sources that, due to their physical or chemical properties, produce sometimes lower levels of pollution. Some of the most important alternative fuels due to their high benefits are:
Natural gas
Natural gas is a mixture of gases, the largest proportion of which is methane gas. This type of fuel contains methane in a proportion of between 75% and 95% of the total volume of the mixture.
Moreover, its combustion can be regulated, it produces little pollution and CO2 production is little more than half that of other fossil fuels.
The benefits of natural gas are that it reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 85%; minimises CO2 emissions by 15%; saves between 30% and 40% compared to diesel; achieves less noise pollution; and achieves a longer service life for vehicles using this clean fuel.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is, in principle, the panacea of alternative fuels: it can be stored in gaseous or liquid form and distributed through pipelines, it can be a substitute for natural gas, and it emits no greenhouse gases in its combustion. From a sustainability perspective, it is the cleanest fuel.
However, it has not become the star alternative for several reasons: the high cost of hydrogen; the great difficulty in its production; and the fact that it is not a storable energy.
Liquefied gas
LPG is the mixture resulting from the combination of propane and butane, compressing them until they become liquid and give rise to LPG. Its main advantage over the other two is that it does not emit nitrogen oxides (NOx) or particulate matter (PM).
Technology can be the clear ally of sustainability
At this point, technology is clearly a good ally. Various software and applications are available on the market to help optimise routes. With better planning, empty or lightly laden journeys are avoided. In addition, route times are reduced and journeys are more efficient. This will also result in lower costs.
Another action that road freight transport companies can take is to surround themselves with suppliers and partners who also implement measures to make their activity more sustainable. In this way, they contribute to making not only the transport part of the business more environmentally friendly, but also the whole supply chain reduces its impact on the environment.
Concrete actions, what the sector needs to bring about transformation
The logistics sector knows that it is important to offer a concrete sustainable project. Proof of the importance of taking steps towards sustainability are actions such as those we are developing at In Side Logistics, such as the reactivation of flora through the repopulation of forests. An initiative with which we have been awarded the "Calculate, Reduce and Offset" seal of the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
In addition, we want to implement actions to accelerate the technological renewal of transport in order to reduce emissions. We must also ensure that these actions are concrete and measurable, both internally and externally.
At In Side, we already have our consulting and digitalisation teams focused on this green logistics project, as we want it to be digitally controllable through Tookane, a platform with which to control the entire logistics process.
In short, there are options for making road logistics a clean mode of transport. All that is needed is commitment and the will to turn a polluting sector into a green one.
