Nestlé, the world's largest food and beverage company, is cutting its ocean logistics greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by using Maersk’s ECO Delivery solution for 100% of its ocean containers shipped by Maersk in 2023, with an option to extend this agreement into 2024 and beyond.
The seaborne emissions of these transports are being reduced by over 80% compared to the usage of conventional fossil fuels.
With ECO Delivery, Maersk customers can handle ocean transports completely with certified green fuels* like second generation biofuel based on waste feedstocks. These fuels are replacing conventional fossil fuels on container ships in Maersk’s fleet. The corresponding GHG emission savings are confirmed to the customers with a certificate.
"Reaching net zero requires changing many aspects of how we source, make, and distribute our products. The agreements we’ve signed with Maersk will help reduce emissions and deliver immediate positive impacts on our carbon footprint." Stephanie Hart, Global Head of Operations at Nestlé.
Nestlé’s goal is a 50% reduction of its total emissions by 2030 and to be net zero by 2050. With scope 3 emissions being the major part of the overall emissions, ECO Delivery is an effective solution for abatement of scope 3 emissions caused by ocean transports. Nestlé’s water beverages and Nespresso have been two pioneering brands using ECO Delivery since 2021.
Today many more of Nestlé’s up to 2,000 brands are reaching the end consumers with a much smaller GHG footprint thanks to Maersk’s ECO Delivery. Furthermore, Nestlé is one of Maersk’s partners in piloting also low GHG emission landside transports, e.g. by rail or electric trucks.
"This is a very decisive step of Nestlé to use our very low GHG emission solution for 100% of their ocean cargo with Maersk. We are proud and delighted to make this immense emission savings possible with our ECO Delivery. Having green fuel solutions like ECO Delivery at hand, it still takes such impressive commitments of our customers like Nestlé to make the decarbonization of our shipping and landside logistics actually happen. This is why we are grateful for the positive feedback we get from customers like Nestlé that are buying ECO Delivery for all their ocean cargo. This makes a real change for the climate and for our world." Johan Sigsgaard, Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer Ocean of A.P. Moller - Maersk.
Maersk aims to be a net zero company across all business areas by 2040.
With this agreement Nestlé ranks among the largest ECO Delivery clients by volume. Since 2023, Maersk sees a trend of more and more global and national leading companies using the ECO Delivery very low emission solution for all their seaborne cargo which means a substantial financial commitment for the cargo owners. On the other hand ECO Delivery guarantees direct emission savings through allocation of green fuels, and these transports will be exempted by Maersk from future EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) charges. Furthermore, customers benefit from fixed prices for the green fuels. ECO Delivery will also become available for airfreight cargo as well as landside transports in certain areas.
*Maersk defines ’green fuels’ as fuels with low (65-80%) to very low (80-95%) GHG emissions over their life cycle compared to fossil fuels. Maersk green fuels and its supply chain are verified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC). The methodology for accounting emissions is based on GLEC (Global Logistics Emission Council) and is certified by Smart Freight Center. We ensure auto-generated performance tracking of Maersk ECO Delivery shipments. Maersk ECO Delivery CO2e saving certificates will be issued. The method is audited by PwC in accordance with the International Standard of Assurance Engagements 3410 (ISAE 3410 – Assurance Engagements on Greenhouse Gas Statements), showing CO₂e savings for the scope of the Maersk ECO Delivery agreement.
The Assembly of the International Maritime Organization has elected the Members of its Council for the 2024-2025 biennium.
The Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. Between sessions of the Assembly, the Council performs the functions of the Assembly, except that of making recommendations to Governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.
The Assembly of the International Maritime Organization has elected the following States to be Members of the Council for the 2024-2025 biennium: Category (a): 10 States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services (listed in alphabetical order): China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Norway, Panama, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States
Category (b): 10 States with the largest interest in international seaborne trade: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates
Category (c): 20 States not elected under (a) or (b) above, which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world: Bahamas, Bangladesh, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Türkiye.
The newly elected Council will meet, following the conclusion of the 33rd Assembly, for its 131st session (on 7 December) and will elect its Chair and Vice-Chair for the next biennium.
The 33rd Assembly of IMO is meeting in London at IMO Headquarters from 27 November to 6 December 2023. All 175 Member States and three Associate Members are entitled to attend the Assembly, which is IMO's highest governing body. The intergovernmental organizations with which agreements of co-operation have been concluded and international non-governmental organizations in consultative status with IMO are also invited to attend.
The Assembly normally meets once every two years in regular session. It is responsible for approving the work programme, voting the budget and determining the financial arrangements of the Organization. It elects the Organization's 40-Member Council.
The Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of leading global shipping lines have issued a joint declaration at COP 28 calling for an end date for fossil-only powered newbuilds and urging the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the global regulator, to create the regulatory conditions to accelerate the transition to green fuels.
Global temperatures are breaching critical levels, creating more frequent and devasting results. Therefore the importance of shipping achieving IMO’s 2030, 2040, and net-zero 2050 greenhouse gas (GHG) targets is very clear. The only realistic way to meet those targets for an industry that accounts for 2-3% of global GHG emissions is to transition from fossil to green fuels at scale and at pace.
Being at the forefront of introducing lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emission ships underscores the CEOs’ commitment to the IMO GHG reduction objectives for 2030, 2040, and 2050. As frontrunners, the CEOs are convinced that even closer collaboration with IMO regulators will produce the effective and concrete policy measures needed to underpin the investment within maritime shipping and its ancillary industries that will enable decarbonisation to occur at the pace required.
Their joint declaration calls for the establishment of four regulatory ‘cornerstones’: An end date for new building of fossil fuel-only vessels and a clear GHG Intensity Standard timeline to inspire investment confidence, both for new ships and the fuel supply infrastructure needed to accelerate the energy transition.
An effective GHG pricing mechanism to make green fuel competitive with black fuel during the transition phase when both are used. This can be done by distributing the premium for the green fuels across all the fossil fuel used. With low initial volumes of green fuels any inflationary effects are minimised. The mechanism must also feature an increasing regulatory incentive to achieve deeper emissions reductions. Furthermore, beyond covering the ‘green balance fee’, revenue generated by the mechanism should go to an RD&D fund and to investments in developing countries to ensure a just transition that leaves no one behind.
A vessel pooling option for GHG regulatory compliance where the performance of a group of vessels could count instead of only that of individual ships, ensuring investments are made where they achieve the greatest GHG reduction and thereby accelerating decarbonisation across the global fleet.
A Well-to-Wake or lifecycle GHG regulatory basis to align investment decisions with climate interests and mitigate the risk of stranded assets.
In a unprecedent action, major players of the shipping industry express their shared conviction that regulation can play a key role in mitigating the cost of the green transition as well as the risk of extreme weather events. Given the cost of climate change is far greater than the cost of the green transition they look forward to being joined by other companies.
"A.P. Moller - Maersk wants to accelerate the green transition in shipping and logistics and a crucial next step is to introduce regulatory conditions which ensure that we create the most greenhouse gas emission reductions per invested dollar. This includes an efficient pricing mechanism to close the gap between fossil and green fuels and ensuring that the green choice is easier to make for our customers and consumers globally. The momentum for green fuel is building and we are pleased to see strong partnerships across the industry as we continue our joint efforts of making decarbonisation in shipping successful." Vincent Clerc, Chief Executive Officer of A.P. Moller - Maersk.
"Climate change is a general concern not a matter of competition. The CMA CGM Group is extremely pleased to join this unique Coalition, which brings together leading shipping companies to urge to the adoption of the upper targets of the IMO trajectory. This sets an ambitious milestone for the decarbonization of our industry. By collaborating with others, we each take a new step in our energy transition, while ensuring a collective level playing field and access to greener fuels for the industry. This new commitment is fully in line with the CMA CGM Group's ambition to be Net Zero by 2050. We have already invested close to $15 billion in decarbonizing our fleet, which will enable us to have almost 120 vessels capable of being powered by decarbonized fuels by 2028. Pioneer in LNG as a transition energy, our Group has also launched several large industrial partnerships to diversify our sourcing with even more decarbonized fuels. In 2023, the CMA CGM Group will reduce its CO2 emissions by around -1 million tons. Alongside the members of this coalition and all those who will join us afterwards, the CMA CGM Group pursues its decarbonization journey and renews its commitment to a shared and sustainable future." Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group.
"Our collective responsibility for a sustainable future and clean practices is paramount. At Hapag-Lloyd, we reaffirm our commitment to advance the decarbonization of the maritime industry and strive to be at the forefront of the energy transition. We believe that a regulatory framework and clear targets are crucial to accelerating the introduction of alternative fuels and reducing our carbon footprint. This commitment is in line with Hapag-Lloyd's goal of achieving a net-zero carbon fleet by 2045 and reflects our industry's unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility." Rolf Habben Jansen, Chief Executive Officer of Hapag-Lloyd.
"Shipping is at the forefront of technological innovation when it comes to decarbonization and at MSC our fleet renewal strategy includes 100 dual fuel vessels. We are proud to be part of this unprecedented collaboration with our peers and it is only right that together we follow this path towards net zero that we must achieve by 2050. The support of Governments across the world will be an essential element to reach our common goal and among those efforts we want to see an end to delivery of ships that can only run on fossil fuels. MSC has fully supported and committed to net decarbonization by 2050 but without the full support from other stakeholders particularly energy providers it will be extremely difficult to meet those objectives - no one can do this alone. Today it feels like we are one step closer in this regard, but concrete supply of alternative fuels and globally recognised GHG pricing are essential to achieve our goals." Soren Toft, Chief Executive Officer of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.
"At Wallenius Wilhelmsen we have decided to be a shaper of the journey to net-zero and focus our investments in supporting this ambition. Our customers want to partner with us on the voyage. Now, we need a global regulatory framework matching this ambition to drive the investments needed at a global scale." Lasse Kristoffersen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wallenius Wilhelmsen.
Chris Curtin’s appointment as regional consultant representative in Scotland for BIFA – the British International Freight Association, completes the trade association’s regional team.
Chris joins four other regional representatives who support and engage with BIFA members across the UK and are the trade association's ‘eyes and ears’ at a local level in each of its regions.
Chris has over 22 years’ experience in customs and logistics including operational, commercial and compliance activities.
He joined one of the UK’s leading port community system providers in 2011 and during his time there was liaison to major UK government agencies including HMRC, Border Force and Port Health during the implementation of key programmes such as UCC, CDS and Brexit.
Most recently, Chris has taken the role of head of Customs and Logistics services for DDC FPO, a leading outsourcing organisation and will combine this role with his work for BIFA.
BIFA Director General, Steve Parker comments: “We have made clear our strategy to further raise BIFA’s profile with our members as well as enhance engagement with them.
“With the appointment of Chris, we have completed a recruitment drive to strengthen and support our engagement with our members in Scotland and other parts of the UK; to ensure that their views reach all areas of the association; and are reflected in the work undertaken by the secretariat.
“I know that Chris is looking forward to working for BIFA’s members in Scotland, getting a better understanding of how BIFA can fulfil their requirements, whilst representing them in key forums, and ensuring their views are heard by key decision makers in the logistics environment.”
HAROPA PORT and VERSO ENERGY signed an agreement for the installation of a plant to produce low-carbon hydrogen and synthetic fuels on HAROPA PORT land in Grand-Quevilly.
This production plant will be set up on an area of land belonging to HAROPA PORT | Rouen in the town of Grand-Quevilly at the administrative boundary with Petit-Couronne. This development project will help both secure and expand the local industrial ecosystem. The facility is projected to come on stream by 2029.
The project is slated to produce hydrogen by water electrolysis and will be capable of providing capacity of 350MW, corresponding to an annual volume of more than 50,000 tonnes of hydrogen, in return for an investment of around €500m. It is to be accompanied by a plant producing synthetic fuels using captured, recycled CO2, and creating some 150 direct and 250 indirect jobs. The project will contribute in this way to decarbonising industrial sites in the port area and the maritime and aviation sectors, in which demand for sustainable fuels can be seen to be increasing significantly.
The new production plant has strategic importance for HAROPA PORT and generally for the Rouen port community. This is so because it will help sustain a dynamic that is driving industrial development and renewal centred on the technologies and forms of production of the future as components of the energy transition and decarbonisation of industrial activities across the region. Ports are faced with major issues arising from decarbonisation for which decarbonised hydrogen will increasingly be an essential resource. There are numerous use cases for hydrogen in port ecosystems, ranging from freight handling to maritime transport, and including road and rail mobility.
Dominique Ritz, deputy CEO of HAROPA PORT, and Antoine Huard, CEO of Verso Energy, signed the site occupancy agreement at the local regional offices of HAROPA PORT | Rouen, most notably in the presence of Jean-Benoît Albertini, the Prefect of Seine-Maritime, Thierry Coquil, head of the directorate for infrastructure, transport and mobility (DGITM), Nicolas Rouly, mayor of Grand-Quevilly and vice-chair of the Rouen Normandy urban district authority, Aline Louisy-Louis, vice-chair of Normandy’s Regional Authority, and Olivier Morzelle, head of the regional directorate for local development and housing (DREAL).
“We are proud to host the future production plant for decarbonised hydrogen proposed by VERSO ENERGY on Rouen port land. This major project comes as confirmation that the Seine Axis is a new-fuels, new-mobility valley. Once again, HAROPA PORT has shown itself to be a key actor in the energy and ecological transition, serving local regions and the economic fabric”, declared Stéphane Raison, CEO of HAROPA PORT.
“This industrial project is totally aligned with the national strategy for the development of hydrogen and sustainable fuels as essential vectors of industrial and transport decarbonisation. Rouen is a particularly favourable location for a project of this kind, given the central position of its port industrial zone along the Seine Axis and its connections to the Trapil network for fuel delivery to end-consumers. We are pleased to be able to work with HAROPA PORT in driving this project, resolutely determined as we are to contribute to the reindustrialisation of the country and the decarbonisation of our economy”, declared Antoine Huard, CEO of VERSO ENERGY.
“Rouen Normandy urban district authority welcomes the arrival of Verso Energy, which will boost the drive to regenerate Rouen’s port areas, creating a new activity that will be a source of direct and indirect jobs. The urban district authority wishes to thank HAROPA PORT’s teams for their commitment to this new facility. The Seine Valley has a major role to play in decarbonising mobility and developing technologies that provide solutions. This major investment is a contribution to that”, underscored Nicolas Mayer Rossignol, chair of the Rouen Normandy urban district authority, Abdelkrim Marchani, vice-chair with responsibility for the economy, attractiveness, higher education and research, student affairs, digital technology, Europe and international affairs, and Nicolas Rouly, vice-chair of the city authority and mayor of Grand-Quevilly.
“In France, Normandy Regional Authority has shown itself to be a pioneer in the development of new uses for hydrogen. As an industrial region in the first rank, comprising sectors of great importance such as logistics and ports, as well as an energy mix among the most diversified in France, Normandy enjoys exceptional advantages for the development of what is an energy source of the future. It is for that reason that very early on the Regional Authority identified hydrogen as an essential resource not only for its energy transition but also as a vector for decarbonised growth. I am delighted to see the creation of this new industrial plant for the production of low-carbon hydrogen and synthetic fuels on HAROPA PORT land in Grand-Quevilly. This project is absolutely a contribution to achieving the Regional Authority’s ambitions for the industrial development of Normandy and comes as one more in a long series of industrial investments on the Seine Axis, the favoured location of the leading national port complex, which possesses extraordinary potential for becoming a region at the crossroads of global economic flows, making it a participant in the reindustrialisation of our economy and at the same time a promoter of a more virtuous development model”, stated Hervé Morin, chair of Normandy Regional Authority.
In order to offer their customers a higher transparency of services, Rhenus India inaugurated the Rhenus Experience Centre in their Bhiwandi multi-user warehouse in Mumbai.
In the new facility, Rhenus India takes its customers on a journey to see how the operation of their goods is actually handled. Instead of just learning in the abstract what it means to choose Rhenus as a logistics service provider, customers can now immerse themselves in the world of sophisticated warehousing.
Providing a comprehensive overview of the warehouse operations across India, the Experience Centre showcases activities like loading, unloading, packaging and more in real time. Visitors can also experience live demonstrations of the warehouse management system (WMS), transport management system (TMS) and the Qlik Sense reporting tool. By combining physical operations and digital processes, Rhenus India creates an experience that is a combination of both simulation and reality.
“As a part of our sales and business development program, we always invite our customers to the warehouse. Building long-term business relationships and trust can only begin with transparency and real-time insights into the supply chain,” says Pranav Agarwal, Head of Supply Chain Solutions & IT of Rhenus India.
Rhenus India focuses on tailoring integrated logistics solutions to meet individual customer needs and seamlessly integrate them into their supply chains by providing a holistic approach to warehousing and logistics. “Selling logistics services today has an increased complexity and, as a service provider, it is our job to identify and eradicate problems for our customers,” explains Agarwal. Rhenus India sees an important success factor for its business in giving them an understanding of what this support actually looks like in concrete terms.
DHL has been appointed by Hilti Ireland in a new UK&I contract until May 2025, which builds on the existing relationship in other markets around the world.
The new contract will see DHL leverage its scale and breadth as a full-service logistics group by co-ordinating two of its business arms, DHL Supply Chain and DHL Express, to provide warehouse and transport services respectively.
DHL will deliver customised solutions to Hilti, with the two business units able to communicate and work together seamlessly.
Operating out of Dublin Airport Business Park, Hilti will benefit from strong air and road links. To support Hilti’s business growth, DHL will use its expertise and experience in the sector to drive warehouse efficiency in line with newly developed, ambitious KPIs targeting improved customer experience and reduced lead times.
Ahead of the contract commencing, DHL’s staff underwent additional health and safety training to equip and qualify them to handle dangerous goods within Hilti’s portfolio.
Damien Schmutz, General Manager, Hilti Ireland said: “It has been a very busy period in the lead up to launching our partnership with DHL and we would like to thank both teams for their hard work and commitment. The complete DHL offering, from warehousing to transport, will support us in delivering an efficient and reliable service to our customers, meeting our business needs and coping effectively with changes in demand.”
Gavin Murdoch, MD Network Transport Solutions, DHL Supply Chain UK&I said: “We are very proud of our colleagues for going above and beyond to deliver a high-quality warehousing solution for Hilti in a limited timeframe. Hilti is a valued strategic global partner, and we are delighted to be supporting their Ireland operation.”
Brian Murray, Commercial & Same Day Director, DHL Express said: The Hilti partnership brings together all the advantages of working with the DHL Group. The DHL Express division will provide exceptional market-leading Express delivery service, reinforced by the industry's largest local service support team. Additionally, Hilti gains access to innovative transport solutions from DHL's Same Day Services for specialized deliveries beyond the Express option. We look forward to working closely with Hilti and our sister company DHL Supply Chain on this new partnership.
Footer
With the announcement of the acquisition of Farrow, a well-reputed Canada-based customs broker, Kuehne+Nagel takes a step forward in its Roadmap 2026 growth ambitions.
The acquisition complements Kuehne+Nagel's offering for companies that increasingly rely on customs clearance services and supports the growing demand in an environment of increasingly complex international trade regulations.
Headquartered in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Farrow’s outstanding service is rooted in a 112-year heritage and is supported by 830 employees in 41 locations across Canada and the USA. In 2022, Farrow managed over 1.5 million customs entries.
The acquisition of Farrow will be immediately earnings-accretive and will expand the company’s customs capabilities in a complementary way, especially at the Canadian and Mexican borders of the USA.
“With Farrow, we acquire a leading, diversified customs brokerage and logistics company that brings with it a proven track record of success, a growth-oriented mindset, and significant business scalability,” said Hansjörg Rodi, Member of the Management Board, responsible for Road Logistics, Kuehne+Nagel International AG. “The acquisition of Farrow greatly accelerates Kuehne+Nagel’s growth ambitions in the customs market and is a compelling, strategic fit, expanding our offering of value-added solutions.”
Rick Farrow, Chairman, Farrow added, “We are excited to take our successful long-time, family-owned business to the next level and welcome the opportunity to be part of one of the world’s leading logistic companies. This allows us to combine our extensive expertise in customs brokerage with the capabilities and global reach of Kuehne+Nagel, allowing us to provide extraordinary supply chain solutions for our customers, as well as, creating new opportunities for career growth for our colleagues.”
Completion of the transaction is expected during the first quarter of 2024. The acquisition is subject to approval from regulatory authorities and customary closing conditions. Upon close, Farrow will become a fully owned subsidiary of Kuehne+Nagel.
Rotate has launched a real-time capacity and market intelligence tool to support commercial and strategic decision-making within the air cargo industry.
Containing live updated flight data from thousands of airlines, more than 9000 airports and over 200 aircraft types, Rotate’s Live Capacity tool offers unrivalled insight into the supply side of the air cargo market. Moreover, Rotate is making this tool available free-of-charge to air cargo companies.
“The air cargo industry has long been investing in digital and technology solutions, which have led to ever-increasing amounts of data being produced and stored every day. The true challenge, now, is not in collecting more data; it is in putting that data to good use and formulating real actions that improve commercial and operational decisions,” says Gert-Jan Jansen, Co-Founder of Rotate. “Our Rotate Live Capacity tool supports a range of functions within the air cargo industry, from network design to business development, benchmarking, carrier management, pricing, and market trend analysis. Access to real-time data also opens up a whole new range of use-cases going forward – such as pricing and revenue management, for example.”
The need for real-time market information is a long-standing request from the air cargo industry. With the Live Capacity tool, users have real-time access to global capacity information based on flight tracking data covering millions of flights from thousands of airlines, over 9000 airports and more than 200 different aircraft types. The data has been filtered, cleaned, and enriched to deliver unique, real-time insight into changes and trends in air cargo capacity. Rotate’s team combines air cargo experts, strategy consultants, and technology professionals who collaborated closely with customers to build an inhouse analytics platform which enabled the design of this completely customized dashboard and analytics environment, focusing on ease-of-use and flexibility.
Ryan Keyrouse, Co-Founder of Rotate, explains: “Data has grown into a commodity. With this in mind, we want to democratise the availability of high-quality market data and are therefore taking a pioneering approach by offering access to our Live Capacity tool for free to the air cargo industry. Airlines, airports, handlers, forwarders, OEMs, GSAs, and other industry-related companies can register to access the tool, free-of-charge. Our belief is that the real value is not the market data itself, but rather in the interpretation and the analysis of this data, which drives actions and better decisions. To further support this, we have placed a strong focus on ease-of-use to allow all users to navigate the platform easily and quickly.”
It is the first time that this kind of high-quality market data is available for free. The Capacity Live tool will be enhanced with unique premium features over time, as Rotate continues to address requests and feedback from its customers and other CargoTech members. Premium features will include capacity forecasts, pro-active and personalized alerts on capacity changes, indirect capacity overviews, a competitive position analyser, and additional data granularity such a charter identification, for example. “We envision a broader suite of live air cargo data going forward, as we are always looking into innovative ways to bring valuable real-time data to the market, now and in the future,” Gert-Jan Jansen concludes.
Maersk has officially welcomed Global Key Partner PUMA to its warehouse near Rijeka, Croatia.
The sports brand is now the second customer at the facility, which became operational on 17th July 2023.
On Tuesday, 14th November, the local Maersk team inaugurated and successfully handled PUMA’s first inbounds volumes through Maersk’s dedicated warehouse in Croatia. Located less than 20 kilometres from the port of Rijeka in the northern part of the country, the facility ensures fast delivery times and efficient cargo handling. This modern 12,000 sqm warehouse is a recently added link in Maersk’s global network of logistics assets across all continents offering resilient and flexible end-to-end supply chain solutions.
"This is another great example of what we mean with our mantra FOREVER FASTER: The same week PUMA dominated the world’s fastest sport at the Formula 1 race in Las Vegas, we also went live with our new cross-docking centre in Rijeka. With our trusted partner Maersk, we are able to provide better and faster deliveries to our customers in South-eastern Europe – saving more than one week in time to market, as well as cost and CO2 emissions." Johan Kuhlo, Managing Director and General Manager at PUMA.
Edouard Buysschaert, Regional Europe and IMEA Key Client Manager for PUMA praised the fruitful collaboration between the two companies, the great teamwork and dedication of Maersk colleagues involved in the project: “I would like to thank our partner PUMA for the trust and their overall collaborative support throughout the entire project. A special thanks to our Maersk Croatia staff: the entire Rijeka warehouse & customs team and all other colleagues involved!”
The Rijeka warehouse is a Class A type, with high security standards and is designed to minimise greenhouse gas emissions thanks to features like solar roof or LED lights reducing energy consumption. The facility has flexible pallet capacity and offers end-to-end solutions including Customs services, as well a wide range of additional value-adding services available. Additional benefit is the proximity of the future deepwater terminal, Rijeka Gateway.
November will be seen in the British International Freight Association’s (BIFA) history as an auspicious month with the first meeting of its new Sustainable Logistics Policy Group, managed by Mike Jones, policy advisor sustainability & environment.
For many years BIFA has been monitoring the legislation, tracking any new regulations, and delivering advice to its corporate members on various environmental issues such as plastic packaging and the problems surrounding its disposal, as well as the development of different fuel types and their respective merits and de-merits.
Environmental and sustainability issues are not new and over time, the environmental agenda within freight and logistics has developed. Whilst the focus is often about carbon emissions, there are other wide-ranging generic issues.
With all of the above in mind, BIFA felt the need to establish a policy group to help identify and report to the Association and its Members on environmental-related issues which may in the future have an impact upon their businesses, or in fact are already doing so.
At the meeting, attendees discussed how the policy group could work to provide guidance to the association in order to deliver meaningful support on environmental and sustainability issues as they impact the UK and the international freight services industry. Future meetings will discuss how to agree and set the association’s policy on all matters concerning environmental matters.
The date of the meeting also marked Use Less Stuff Day, which seemed like an appropriate time for the first meeting of a policy group established to help BIFA assist all of its members, whatever their size, meet the ever-increasing challenges associated with environmental and sustainability issues within freight and logistics.
Sustainability expert and consultant to BIFA Kelly Hobson of Shape Tomorrow gave a presentation about the wider business case and requirements of any supply chain, whilst Lucinda Maxwell, founders’ associate, from Pledge delivered an interesting overview about calculating freight emissions and sustainability regulations.
At the meeting, Director General, Steve Parker emphasised the significance of this new policy group and urged members that were present to encourage other members to engage with the group and attend future meetings.
He said: “All BIFA members are at different stages of their journey in regards to the development of policy that addresses environmental and sustainability issues within the supply chains that they manage.
“By participating in this policy group, members will be able to help shape best practice guidance; and influence how BIFA can represent members’ interests on this subject in our interaction with Government and other stakeholders that are developing legislation on the matter.”
