Smart Freight Centre
Promoting a low-emission global freight industry
The Trafigura Foundation is supporting an initiative to plot a pathway for China to decarbonise its logistics sector and provide industry players with the tools they need to make zero-emission freight a reality.
The challenge
Every day, goods are delivered to billions of customers around the world by a transport industry that is vital to global prosperity but also a major driver of global warming. With transport activity expected to double between now and 2050, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the sector is vital.
China, as a global manufacturing hub and an ever-growing consumer market, has seen its freight sector and associated emissions grow exponentially over recent decades. For China to achieve its carbon neutrality targets by 2060, decarbonisation of the country’s freight and logistics sector is an urgent task.
The solution
In 2022, Smart Freight Centre, a global nonprofit organisation for climate action in the freight sector, launched the Zero Emission Freight Initiative in China. A voluntary partnership between research institutions, key industry players, and logistics and transportation companies, the initiative seeks to exchange information and build consensus on pathways towards decarbonising the sector, with a focus on zero emission heavy duty vehicles.
Partnership impact
With support from the Trafigura Foundation, the Zero Emission Freight Initiative will carry out a market survey to understand the needs of shippers, logistics service providers and carriers; develop a curriculum and course materials on how to calculate emissions, set targets and identify solutions; and launch a comprehensive training system for logistics companies using formats including online training, webinars and classroom teaching.
Our partnership (2023-2024) will enable training over 1,000 companies for more than 5,000 individuals.
