‘Rail is 90% more eco-friendly on major routes’

As more and more major
companies put their money
where their mouth is on
carbon footprint issues,
Transnet Freight Rail has
assembled strong evidence
to support its competitive
argument in the rail versus
road debate.
“Depending on volume,
significant carbon
footprint savings can
be achieved compared
to road,” says sales and
marketing executive
Bheka Xaba who believes
that a rail offering is 90%
more eco-friendly than
a road offering on major
routes.
“Customers are
increasingly taking the
issue of carbon footprint
very seriously,” says Xaba.
Based on 50 TEUs each
for Natcor, Capecor and
Southcor, assuming that
TEU weight is 15 tons and
assuming 50 TEUs per
train and two TEUs by
road, the carbon footprint
per ton of cargo would be
15.75 for rail as opposed to
393.75 for road on Natcor,
31.50 as against 787.50
on Capecor and 26.25
compared to 656.25 on
Southcor.
These are significant
numbers, says Xaba.
Cadbury, for example,
which uses rail, has
measured greenhouse
gas emissions at all
stages of the supply chain
(“from farm to plate”),
including emissions from
agriculture, transport,
packaging and waste
streams. The company
shared its data with key
customers and suppliers
and is working with
dairy producers in the
United Kingdom to reduce
emissions in chocolate
manufacturing. It is also
engaging with suppliers
to teach them sustainable
practices for reducing
emissions.
Another rail user, Nike,
has also made significant
strides, says Xaba. The
company estimated the
embedded carbon in its
products to be equal to 2.5
times the carbon emitted
by the footwear factories
making the products,
a conclusion that led it
to consider alternative
materials in the design
process.
Green action plays
a key role in every
major shipper’s logistics
decisions – and TFR
can provide quantified
evidence to support its
value proposition, he said.