As government rolls out its climate change response policy, it has called on industry experts – including those in the transport sector – to help set up sectoral emission reduction targets. It is commonly agreed that transport mitigation opportunities for the freight sector include shifting to lower carbon modes of freight transport as well as embracing more intermodal solutions, says national climate change officer with the WWF, Louise Naude. At the same time it is essential to improve operational efficiency as well as vehicle technologies while looking at the use of alternative fuels. “There are measures that can be taken in terms of smart logistics and sustainable consumption,” said Naude. She said it was essential to understand the freight sector’s emissions profile and to see where the biggest emissions were coming from. “Not all opportunities of emission mitigation are applicable to all modes of transport or all types of commodities,” she said.
