Global Shippers Seek Sustainability
With the Paris U.N. Conference on Climate Change nearing an end, it has again put the spotlight on companies who have opportunity to make positive changes to their overall environmental footprint.
“Developing environmental practices and creating sustainability is a growing focus for many global companies,” explains Craig Dickman, CEO and Chief Innovation Officer of Breakthrough Fuel, a global supply chain management and transportation energy advisory firm. “Focusing on transportation and fuel, in a sustainable way, can pay real dividends by reducing a company’s carbon footprint, as well as saving money on fuel costs.”
Dickman adds that the focus on sustainability isn’t just a reaction to stricter emissions requirements that some world leaders are pressing for at the annual Climate Change Conference. “It’s a change in attitude that’s happened over the past decade or more,” explains Dickman.
"Many consumers are more environmental conscious, particularly among the millennials, as they are seeking to purchase products from like-minded sustainable companies. Equally important, companies are realizing that incorporating environmentally friendly practices doesn’t always mean higher costs. In many cases, such as with the energy used to move products to market, it can mean significant savings,” he added.
Approximately one quarter of the entire globe’s emissions of carbon-dioxide (CO2), the most common greenhouse gas, comes from the transportation sector. “The clients we work with understand this,” explains Dickman.
He added: “For more than ten years, we have been helping our clients create actionable strategies to create both savings and sustainability through reduced fuel consumption; incorporating alternative fuel use and utilizing multi-modal transportation including truck, rail and ocean vessels to move their products to market.”
In 2015 alone, Breakthrough Fuel’s clients reduced their CO2 emissions by more than 50,000 metric tons. “That’s a significant amount for our clients, that place sustainability among their key missions,” said Dickman.
Earlier this year, Unilever partnered with Breakthrough Fuel to build a GAIN Clean Fuel compressed natural gas (CNG) station as part of Unilever’s CNG fleet conversion.
“The outcome of the current Climate Change Conference, and its impact on global manufacturers, is yet to be determined, but forward thinking companies are not waiting for new rules or guidelines. They will continue to make positive changes that improve not just the bottom line, but the environment for everyone,” Dickman said.
