‘Low Carbon Logistics’, an event highlighting the road to net zero in the freight industry has been called a ‘great success’ and a real boost for innovation and communication in the sector.
Occurring during COP26 and finishing on Transport Day at the global conference, ‘Low Carbon Logistics’ took place over three days and showcased the drive by businesses and organisations across Scotland and the UK to reach net zero emission supply chains.
Graeme Dey, Minister for Transport in Scotland, opened the event before three days of exhibitions, presentations, panel discussions and three naming ceremonies of electric and sustainable fuel locomotives. On the first day of the event, GB Railfreight named a class 92 Electric Locomotive ‘Billy Stirling’ after Mossend International Railfreight Park owners Andrew and David Stirling’s father.
On the second day, the event was titled ‘Driving Rail Innovations’ where topics discussed included ‘Sustainability in Scotland’s Railway’ and the importance of diversity and inclusion for growth in the sector. The main takeaway from the event were the possibilities that could be created with the decarbonisation of the freight industry and the space for growth with all organisations in the sector working together and ‘Pulling Together for Net Zero’.
On the second day, a DB Cargo-owned Class 90 Electric Locomotive was also named ‘The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport’ carrying a unique livery to depict how important modern rail freight is to the UK economy.
The event welcomed high-profile guests from the industry including Alex Hynes, Managing Director of Scotland’s Railway, Bill Reeves, Director of Rail at Transport Scotland and on the final day, there was a visit from UK Government Minister Iain Stewart.
Paul Sheerin, Chief Executive of Scottish Engineering said;
“Scottish Engineering was delighted to be part of the Low Carbon Logistics event at Mossend this week that concluded yesterday on Transport Day which was a fitting end to a successful three days focused on how the rail sector is pulling together for a cleaner, greener future.
Being able to highlight the work of our rail cluster project, funded by Scottish Enterprise and Transport Scotland, in which Scottish SMEs looking to diversify into the rail market, bring innovative, green solutions and best practice from other industry sectors into rail was a great opportunity to demonstrate our progress in supporting the aims of the Scottish Government’s Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan.”
Scotland currently has some of the most ambitious plans in terms of climate legislation in the world. The 2030 target of 75% reductions goes beyond what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes says is needed globally to prevent warming of more than 1.5 degrees.
Andrew Stirling, Director of Peter D Stirling and Mossend International Railfreight Park said
“We wanted to take the opportunity that COP26 offered to really do something about low carbon logistics and the work going on in the freight industry to reach the net zero goals set out by the government.
We know that rail and road freight needed pulling together to ensure that the sector delivers targets and that the industry is moving in the right direction. It is up to the government to achieve these goals but businesses like ours, and the ones in attendance at this event, are the ones on the ground ensuring change is made for the decarbonisation of the industry.”
UK Government Minister Iain Stewart echoed Andrew Stirling’s words commenting that its businesses, like Peter D Stirling, who are really delivering the global targets and ambitions when it comes to decarbonisation.
“There’s a real challenge to decarbonise as much as possible in the transport industry… some of the initiatives and projects I’ve seen today I think are transformational and will take us a long way down that road.”
