The road to net zero remains bumpy

Angus Elphinstone, founder and chief executive, AnyVan

Net zero means achieving a balance between the greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere and those taken out. When we initially approach this from a logistical point of view in the transport industry, it seems counter-intuitive and somewhat impossible.

Transport is the UK’s largest source of emissions, responsible for 27% of greenhouse gases in 2019. Of this, 55% comes from cars and most of the remainder is from vans and lorries. The government is trying to implement changes to help such as bringing the ban on any new petrol and diesel cars and vans sales forward to 2030.

But little has been said for consumers and businesses, aside from plans on ending the sale of ‘non-zero emissions’ heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), regulating the phaseout of petrol and diesel cars and vans, and net-zero aviation by 2050.

So, how can transport, which emits non-renewable fuel as its main process of functioning, giveback as much as it takes, before it is too late? A good starting point is thinking strategically about partnerships and achieving a net zero goal.

An easy solution would require transport companies to get involved and partner with causes which work towards helping the environment. Programmes such as ‘every purchase you make we plant a tree’ are a perfect example, and there is no reason why the transport sector cannot get involved.

For example, AnyVan is partnered with World’s Land Trust’s Carbon Balancing project which aims to protect and recover 20,000 hectares of tropical forest in Vietnam. This helps us offset CO2 emissions, and so far, we have offset 6,500 tonnes.

AnyVan also pledges to do the following: offset all driver miles and the impact of employees; have initiatives that encourage the reuse of our fully recyclable packing boxes, by reusing them as long as practical; offer flexible working to reduce commuting to work, and work with B2B customers that aim to provide more sustainable solutions to reduce the need for large vehicles to enter city centres.

Initiatives like this are easy when sustainability is embedded in the company’s core, and as they say, every little helps when it comes to working towards a cleaner future.

While offsetting is a good strategy, it is not perfect. Transport companies should be looking at ways in which to reduce their carbon footprint in the long term instead. Route planning technology is designed to reduce the number of travelled miles of drivers, by consolidating jobs and therefore reducing emissions per job.

By using revolutionary technology as we do at AnyVan, we can plan journeys to make sure all the space in one vehicle is used during the trip in the most eco-friendly way; it will also work for jobs on the return route, so the journey back can be as productive as possible.

A good example would be to assign jobs to drivers based on what has been booked, to see if they are able to pick up goods along their journey or nearby to other pick-up spots before they set off. By doing this at least 24 hours before going on the road, the delivery will not only be faster, but more economically and environmentally friendly.

Moving to a position of carbon neutrality will take significant planning, with many challenges being presented to all businesses on the way.

Cost is a big barrier. With governments, businesses, and asset managers investing millions in projects linked to clean energy and broader environmental, social, and governance initiatives, the journey to net zero will hopefully increasingly influence costs in a positive way.

Regulation, carbon taxes, and other public policies, as well as shifts in consumer sentiment and business models, will also play a part here.

As well as operational changes and investments in new technology, there is a strong need for behavioural change. As aforementioned, this process will be a lot simpler and easier to manage if sustainability is at the core of a company’s culture; it is an important factor in the move to carbon neutrality.