Major Reduction In Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Volvo Trucks’ Own Transport Operations

Thanks to considerable effort by everyone involved, in all aspects of transport, the set target was even beaten by a comfortable margin. The emissions of carbon dioxide were reduced by 22 per cent, measured as the average number of grams of carbon dioxide per ton per kilometre.

“This is a good example which shows how you can achieve sizeable benefits by working with environmental issues in a cohesive and organised way,” says Staffan Jufors, President and CEO of Volvo Trucks. “We are proud to have achieved such a positive result by adopting a range of both large and small measures throughout the entire transport chain to and from our factories”.

As the challenge was initiated by Staffan Jufors, Volvo Trucks and Volvo Logistics – which develop and handles the company’s transportation needs – set haulage firms the task of reducing their emissions from transport operation to Volvo Trucks’ production plants by 20% before end 2010.

The challenge is part of Volvo Trucks’ climate strategy, which aims for carbon dioxide-neutral production, enhanced energy efficiency and the development of alternative fuel technologies.

The result, which was unveiled at the Logistics & Transport trade fair in Gothenburg on May 25th, shows that the target was beaten by a wide margin: all told, carbon dioxide emissions from Volvo Trucks’ transport operations shrank dramatically by 22%, when compared to 2006.

Behind this achievement lies a meticulous review into every single aspect of the company’s transport operations. Among the changes that delivered these results were increased training for truck drivers in economical driving, more modern truck engines that use less fuel and release less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and more efficient use of cargo capacity. In addition, the company has made increased use of sea and train transportation.

“There is no one single solution when it comes to cutting carbon dioxide emissions in an effective way. Rather, it’s all about a range of measures. It is necessary to optimise every link the chain – every little bit counts,” says Lars Mårtensson, Director Environmental Affairs at Volvo Trucks.

Lars Mårtensson concluded, “We’re really only at the start of our work in this area. When it comes to climate-impacting emissions, a lot remains to be done in the transport industry.”