LOGISTICS
Capacity – Larger HGVs can carry the same amount of goods as 25 vans .
impact logistics operations .
The logistics and the transport industries aren ’ t just potential casualties of climate change , they are also one of the biggest contributors .
Statistics from the 2021 Transport and Environmental Annual Report produced by the Department for Transport show that in 2019 , UK domestic transport ( road ) was responsible for emitting 122 MtCO2e ( million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent ).
This means that road transport is the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gas emissions , producing 27 per cent of the UK ’ s total emissions . Of this , 18 per cent and 17 per cent comes from heavy goods vehicles ( HGVs ) and vans respectively .
With the ambitious target to become net zero by 2050 , the focus is now on businesses to make fundamental changes to offset their carbon emissions .
AV Dawson , which owns and operates Port of Middlesbrough , has the environment at the forefront of its strategic plan .
In fact , the environment is such a pertinent issue that the business has assigned a dedicated environmental role , sitting within the health , safety and environmental department .
The role is also being supported by an external consultant to help analyse current working practices and observe where improvements can be made .
AV Dawson is accredited with the ISO 14001 environmental standard , which helps businesses build frameworks to manage their environmental responsibilities . This is expected to help as the business sets out its goals to
become net zero .
AV Dawson has also been recognised for its dedication to the environment and has won multiple awards for the innovative solutions it has produced to offset its carbon emissions .
One example is its 102,000 sq ft automotive metals store , which has a negative carbon footprint achieved using ground-sourced heat pumps and 1,000 solar panels that produce twice as much energy as the store uses .
On top of this example , as part of its £ 10m master plan to invest further into its Middlesbrough port facility , AV Dawson has constructed a new renewable energy plant .
The business also faces significant challenges when it comes to reducing its carbon footprint and the slow advancement of technology is just one example .
AV Dawson ’ s commercial and marketing director , Charlie Nettle , said : “ As a business , we ’ ve always taken a long-term view , so we ’ re not afraid to invest in some of these energy-efficient solutions , but the challenge is often that the technology and wider infrastructure have not quite caught up yet .
“ For example , our cranes could be run on electricity , but the local electrical infrastructure coming into our site is insufficient to power them .
“ Our giant reach-stackers would somehow need to incorporate around 100 tonnes of batteries , which would make the machine so slow and so heavy it would need humongous tyres .
“ There is also a growing interest in hydrogen as a clean , renewable and readily available alternative that could help power HGVs , heavy plant equipment and ships , too .
“ Hydrogen is highly efficient , produces almost zero emissions and can significantly reduce carbon footprints .
“ However , investment is still required to develop fuel cells so they can become a viable energy source , and when looking at the overall cost , it is still greater when compared to solar and traditional fuels .
“ It is challenging for businesses like ours that rely on heavy machinery , cranes and trucks to operate , as there is a huge pressure to turn to greener solutions , not only to meet government targets but also to also respond to our customers ’ demands and to protect our company ’ s reputation .
“ As part of its green ambitions , the government will be abolishing its red diesel tax relief in April next year .
“ This will mean that fuel costs for our plant equipment will double overnight , adding further cost pressures for our business and other companies in the sector .
“ While the technology gradually catches up , we feel as a team that we have made a step-change in recent years with regard to our own green ambitions .
“ If we ’ re honest , there was probably a lot of greenwashing in our sector before now . But the new , environmentally conscious younger generations coming through are certainly making us all think harder about protecting our environment and our future , and that can only be a good thing .”
The voice of business in the Tees region | 57