Monday, March 2, 2009

Supply Chain Carbon Intensity

The World Economic Forum has a report out on the contributions the supply chain has to carbon dioxide emissions.

They estimate that logistic activities contribute annually 5% of the 50,000 mega-tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions generated by all human activity.

The report highlights the feasible opportunities with the greatest carbon dioxide abatement potential:

Clean Vehicle Technologies (175 mega-tonne potential savings. High feasibility)

Despeeding the Supply Chain (171 mega-tonne potential savings. High feasibility)

Enabling Low Carbon Sourcing: Agriculture (178 mega-tonne potential savings. Medium feasibility)

Optimised Networks (124 mega-tonne potential savings. High feasibility)

Energy Efficient Buildings (93 mega-tonne potential savings. High feasibility)

Packaging Design Initiatives (132 mega-tonne potential savings. High feasibility)

Enabling Low Carbon Sourcing: (Manufacturing 152 mega-tonne potential savings. Medium feasibility)

Training and Communication (117 mega-tonne potential savings. Medium feasibility)

Modal Switches (115 mega-tonne potential savings. Medium feasibility)

Reverse Logistics / Recycling (84 mega-tonne potential savings. Medium feasibility)

Nearshoring (5 mega-tonne potential savings. Medium feasibility)

Increased Home Delivery (17 mega-tonne potential savings. Medium feasibility)

Reducing Congestion (26 mega-tonne potential savings. Low feasibility)


For all the press that nearshoring and energy efficient (LEED) buildings have had, their overall contribution in terms of carbon dioxide abatement is small compared to reverse logistics and less packaging or more efficient materials handling.

You don't really need a "big fix" to make a difference. Little fixes, wasting less, going slower, thinking things out and being more efficient all add up. You don't really need to wait for hybrid trucks or other technologies to change the world.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes we people must try to lower the Carbon-di-oxide emissions by some extent at least...otherwise our future generations will suffer from global warming and it's effects. You posts was very useful and thanks for posing useful ideas of how to lower the level of carbondioxide in the atmosphere.

Thomas Galvin said...

Thanks!

People don't usually think that everything they buy comes from someplace else and the effects that the goods movement industry has on them.