The government’s Clean Growth Strategy was published online on October 12th and outlines the measures that will be taken to ensure future growth in the UK economy is eco-conscious, including some of the ways to reduce the carbon footprint of HGVs and road haulage.
“There needs to be significant improvement in the efficiency of HGVs, with new HGVs needing to be up to 15% more efficient by 2030,” it states. “We also need to take steps to encourage the industry in moving towards low-emission technologies.”
Among the efforts being made is the Freight Carbon Review, which encourages fleet operators to improve fuel efficiency and reduce fuel consumption as direct ways to reduce carbon emissions – there are of course direct economic benefits to cutting fuel bills, too.
The government has pledged further support to develop advanced, low-carbon fuels for HGVs, along with other fuel-intensive modes of transport such as aviation, as it looks to cut carbon emissions from petrol and diesel engines.
A £40 million fund has been dedicated to this until at least 2021, with a particular focus on developing fuels from current waste products including agricultural and industrial by-products – again having clear positive potential for the wider economy.
Finally, there is also a mention for the HGV platooning pilot announced in August, which sees convoys of up to three HGVs driven semi-autonomously, allowing them to group much closer together on the road and adopt a more efficient overall driving style.
The Clean Growth Strategy acknowledges the unique challenges of cutting carbon emissions in road haulage and HGVs in particular, but looks ahead to 2050 where a combination of electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells and direct emissions removal should allow many of the miles covered by HGVs to have a net zero carbon footprint.
Cutting Carbon in HGV Haulage Today
The ambitions of the Clean Growth Strategy are a long-term goal and many still require new clean technologies, new fuel types and carbon-neutral engines to be developed, but there are immediate measures that all haulage operators can take with associated economic benefits.
4PL uses a joined-up approach to optimise complex haulage networks from warehouse to delivery, while cutting the costs associated with everything from vehicle purchases and planned maintenance, to fuel consumption and unexpected breakdowns.
To find out more about how 3T Logistics’ 4PL services and transport management systems can help you to operate a cleaner, greener and leaner fleet, get in touch via our Contact page or call us on 0116 2824 111.