With emissions standards front and centre of the air quality debate, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has today (13 July 2017) shared the huge strides that members of its Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme (LCRS) have made to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions since 2010. The FTA Logistics Carbon Review 2017, sponsored by Bridgestone Tyres, reveals that operators within the scheme have achieved an impressive 7% reduction in their business’ emissions since 2010, significantly outperforming industry as a whole. Now in its eighth year, the LCRS report highlights that the uptake in alternative fuels still remains challenging. Uncertainty over infrastructure and payback periods continue to limit expansion, yet despite these setbacks, LCRS members continue to trial alternatively fuelled vehicles, demonstrating their commitment to improving air quality nationwide.
Christopher Snelling, FTA Head of National & Regional Policy and Public Affairs, said: “The LCRS continues to grow in membership and in strength, and its members never fail to impress with their increasing efforts and versatility to adopt new technologies. The ongoing changes to air quality policy from Government will continue to challenge us, but I am confident that our members will continue to outperform industry as a whole.”
In 2016, LCRS members were also asked to provide the Euro standard breakdown for their vehicle fleet, and again are performing better than the industry average – over 35% of member HGVs are already compliant with the Euro VI emissions standards. By signing up to the scheme, members are demonstrating their dedication to reducing national carbon emissions, through carbon reporting the LCRS aggregates fuel usage and business activity data from members to establish a carbon footprint for the scheme.
Snelling added: “This is a very exciting and challenging time for our operators. There are increasing options for the electrification of our light commercial fleet, and I am positive that we can see some real change in the environmental performance of our HGV fleet in the years ahead. The LCRS remains an invaluable tool in providing evidence of the consistent efforts made by freight and FTA would urge more companies to join.”
Commenting on the scheme, Terry Salter, Truck and Bus Product Manager, Bridgestone North Region, said: “Bridgestone cannot understate its ongoing partnership with the Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme, which plays a huge part in the brand’s plans to reduce carbon emissions. As the world’s largest tyre manufacturer, we are constantly striving to find ways to measure and reduce emission and offer compelling, fuel-efficient products to our customers as a result. We take our mission of ‘serving society with superior quality’ seriously, with a range of products that not only satisfy the needs of the customer, but the environment as a whole.”
Membership of the LCRS is free and open to all companies with at least one commercial vehicle (HGV or van). Copies of the 2017 LCRS report are available can be found at http://bit.ly/2usRXQH
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For further information, please contact the FTA press office via email: [email protected] or call 01892 552255. Further information on the Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme can be found at: fta.co.uk/policy_and_compliance/environment/logistics_carbon_reduction_scheme/index.html
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The Freight Transport Association can trace its origins back to 1889 and is recognised as the voice of the freight and logistics industry, representing the transport interests of companies moving goods by road, rail, sea and air. FTA members operate over 220,000 goods vehicles – half the UK fleet – consign over 90 per cent of the freight moved by rail and 70 per cent of sea and air freight.
