The freight transport sector is often criticized for its high greenhouse gas emissions. Various laws governing the ecological transition have made reducing the carbon footprint of trucks a strategic priority. It's time to take stock of the situation and the existing solutions.
What is a carbon footprint?
Acarbon footprint is an indicator used to assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It can be calculated at different scales: for an individual, a country, or a specific industry. The carbon footprint is expressed in CO2e, or carbon dioxide equivalent. This terminology makes the result easier to understand. In practice, when calculating a carbon footprint, the amount emitted for each type of GHG is assessed, and then the equivalent in tonnes of CO2 is calculated. In the current context of ecological transition, the carbon footprint of all professional sectors is carefully evaluated, and road transport is no exception.
What is the carbon footprint of road transport?
The latest INSEE report on the carbon footprint of various sectors in France indicates that road transport emits 119.6 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. This places it as the sector withcarbon footprint , ahead of agriculture and industry. While this figure may seem impressive, it should be considered in light of the fact that the need for freight transport is constantly increasing each year. This rise in activity explains the poor carbon footprint of road transport , which, lacking effective alternatives to date, is doing its best to limit its polluting emissions.
It is worth noting, however, that operators are recognizing the problem and seeking to implement solutions. A majority of transport companies have chosen to modify their truck fleets, investing in newer vehicles and trucks of 26 tonnes or more, which are less polluting. Operators are also raising awareness among their drivers about this issue and implementing eco-driving. All these efforts have enabled road transport to reduce its polluting emissions, which stood at 130.7 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2016, representing a decrease of 11 tonnes in just six years. Despite the goodwill and efforts of operators/carriers, the carbon footprint of freight transport remains significant, and we will see that its reduction is no longer solely an environmental imperative.
SCEQUE: a carbon tax is coming for road transport
The European Union has set a target of reducing polluting emissions by at least 55% by 2023. To implement this commitment to ecological transition, the "polluter pays" principle is a tool it regularly uses. This principle involves financially penalizing companies in sectors deemed too polluting in order to encourage them to adopt more environmentally friendly practices. It is precisely in this spirit that the extension of the EU Emissions Trading System to road transport, currently under discussion within European institutions, is being considered.
The EU Emissions Trading System ( EU ETS) is the EU Emissions Trading System . This system acts as a carbon tax . Simply put, it involves putting a price on the CO2 emissions of the sector in question. If the project is definitively adopted, freight transport companies will have to calculate their CO2 emissions very precisely to know how much they will have to pay. Fuel purchases will become more expensive, as is already the case today. Reducing the carbon footprint of transport is therefore no longer simply an environmental issue. It is a financial imperative for the sector's viability, as the implementation of EU ETS will generate additional operating costs.
How to calculate the CO2 emissions of a heavy goods vehicle?
As we have just seen, calculating the CO2 emissions of a heavy goods vehicle is a significant financial issue. To help road transport operators with this task, several measurement tools exist. The first of these is the methodology defined by ADEME( the French Agency for Ecological Transition). This organization has developed a method for calculating greenhouse gas emissions that serves as a benchmark for measuring environmental impact. ADEME's carbon database considers 1 liter of diesel fuel to be equivalent to 3.16 kgCO2e. To determine the CO2 emissions of a heavy goods vehicle, one must therefore calculate the ratio between the truck's fuel consumption based on the weight transported and this figure.
To help transport companies easily calculate their carbon footprint, there are also TMS ) that automate the process, making it less tedious. Unfortunately, while these tools represent progress that will allow for better estimation of potential taxes, they remain too imprecise. To avoid increasing their operating costs, carriers must therefore turn to other solutions to actively reduce their carbon footprint.
Solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of your trucks
There are solutions to reduce thecarbon footprint inherent in trucks that operators can implement and best initiate the essential ecological transition.
Eco-driving
Reducing a transport company's greenhouse gas emissions starts with reducing the emissions of its vehicles. The first way to directly reduce truck fuel consumption is to practice eco-driving. Eco-driving adheres to certain principles and best practices, such as ensuring regular maintenance of the freight truck fleet, particularly tire pressure. Properly inflated tires can reduce fuel consumption by 4%. Drivers should maintain a constant speed, avoiding sudden acceleration and deceleration as much as possible. Heating and air conditioning should be used sparingly. When used, the passenger compartment windows should remain closed. These training programs have been widely implemented for several years, but combining them with other systems optimizes their effectiveness.
Optimizing logistics flows
Optimizing logistics flows , and in particular load factor, is the second essential lever for reducing thecarbon footprint of freight transport in France. A truck that isn't fully loaded is an additional source of pollution, and above all, a cost for the carrier. It is therefore necessary to optimize truck load factors to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and limit empty journeys, which are expensive for operators and their customers. Pooling flows is another avenue to explore. However, optimizing a route by consolidating goods belonging to several customers requires significant logistical support. Existing SaaS software tools are not accessible to all transport companies, especially smaller ones. Furthermore, it is quite difficult in the current market to establish collaborations between companies. This observation led us to develop a truly effective system.
The ECOLOW system
The ECOLOW system is a simple and reliable way to reduce a truck 's carbon footprint by lowering its fuel consumption . It's a fuel-saving device installed on the truck that reduces consumption by 5 to 7%*. This translates to lower CO2 emissions and significant financial savings. The ECOLOW system is EEC, SEEE, EMC , and RoHS compliant . Therefore, the manufacturer's warranty on the heavy goods vehicles on which it is installed remains fully intact. ECOLOW is compatible with all brands on the market, and installation takes no more than an hour, except in specific cases. It's a truly innovative solution for easily reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By doing so, you also reduce your AdBlue consumption .
* It should be noted that on some cold-weather fuels (GNR) the result is diminished or even cancelled.
Despite numerous efforts by French carriers, emissions from freight transport remain significant. Reducing them is no longer just an environmental issue, but a financial necessity given upcoming tax plans and rising fuel prices. ECOLOW is actively working to support all road transport market players in this fight.