A campaign to help van drivers go 'green' through reduced emissions, affordable CO2 offsetting and cost-saving sustainable business practices has been launched in the UK.
The Green Transport Network provides an easy and verifiable way for sole trader transport companies to easily calculate their carbon footprint, offset their mileage through JP Morgan Climate Care and discover other ways to reduce costs.
Couriers and drivers can also sign up to become carbon-balanced green transporters through the campaign organisers, leading online transport marketplace uShip.
Currently, there’s a lack of clear information on fuel-efficient driving techniques and inconsistent and unclear methodologies for calculating CO2. This has made it challenging for delivery drivers to understand their individual carbon emissions impact and then take action.
The Green Transport Network, with support from The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) and the Prince of Wales’ Mayday Network, is believed to be the first site of its kind dedicated to providing this typically under-represented audience the ability to take immediate eco-action.
Over the last decade, the UK’s van population has boomed by 38% to 3.24 million vehicles – and is 8 times the number of registered HGVs. Defra estimates that vans represent 14%, or about 17 million tonnes, of the UK’s 121.8 million tonnes of freight transport CO2 emissions. And that 10-15% of the time, vans drive empty, resulting in half a million tonnes of wasted carbon emissions.
David Sergeant of Preston-based DPS Transport, said: “One of the biggest reasons I reduce my carbon emissions is to help me save on my fuel costs. I use biodiesel for my vans, and this cuts my CO2 by 50%.
“It’s also a lot cheaper at around £1 per litre, and this helps me be greener in other parts of my business, like offering my customers biodegradable bubble wrap. It’s more expensive than the normal wrap, but many of my customers tell me how it’s something that they appreciate.
“uShip also helps me run more efficiently because it helps me find extra loads along my route so that I keep my van full. I see customers trying to be more eco friendly, and showing that my business is taking steps to reduce my environmental impact helps me win more customers and earn repeat business.”
“With 1 of every 3 van miles being used for the collection and delivery of goods, vans make a significant contribution to the UK’s economic activity. Reducing empty running, along with the use of low carbon vehicles and fuels will help reduce unnecessary CO2 emissions. An initiative such as the Green Transport Network provides a vital tool and information source that helps van drivers reduce their impact and become more aware of how to participate in the solution,” said Greg Archer, Managing Director of The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership.
“Logistics and transport are such huge contributors to green house gas, so uShip feels a continued responsibility toward greening our entire organisation. That’s why we’re proud to initiate the Green Transport Network as an extension of uShip’s ongoing environmental commitment that involves shipping customers, transporters and our internal operations,” said Matt Chasen, CEO and founder of uShip, the leading online website for moving hard to ship items.
uShip’s carbon offsetting activity builds on an inherently green transport business: Customers needing to move large items are connected with extra space in delivery vehicles that are already making the journey. This results in fewer unnecessary vans on the road and reduced emissions in the air.
Since 2006, 25,000 shipping customers have offset the CO2 impact of their deliveries on the uShip marketplace, representing 26 million offset miles by transporters – equal to 65,000 trips from London to Edinburgh. The most significant growth in demand for this service was in 2010, when 10,000 shipping customers offset 673 tonnes of carbon from their uShip deliveries, representing 10 million offset miles by drivers.
Further, uShip offsets 100% of its internal operations, including business travel, data centres, and utilities, verified through uShip’s existing US partnership with TerraPass, a carbon offset retailer that also enables transporter and shipping customer contributions. Today, uShip has 5,000 carbon-balanced transporters signed up through TerraPass.
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