Smart Freight Centre and ECG, the Association of European Vehicle Logistics, Partner to Drive Decarbonization in the Finished Vehicle Logistics Sector
Amsterdam, Netherlands, Monday, 21 October 2024 — Smart Freight Centre (SFC) is proud to announce a strategic partnership with ECG, The Association of European Vehicle Logistics, to accelerate the decarbonization of the vehicle logistics industry across Europe.
Building on earlier work to develop emission calculation methodologies for automotive supply chains, this partnership marks a major step forward in scaling up sustainability efforts and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in transport and logistics.
The collaboration also builds on recent initiatives, such as the formalization of the Global Ro-Ro Community and the launch of the first harmonized methodology for accounting GHG emissions from Ro-Ro operations last year. This reflects both organizations' shared commitment to advancing sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the logistics and transport sector.
Smart Freight Centre, a global non-profit dedicated to making freight transportation more sustainable, with a growing community of 170+ members, will work closely with ECG, which represents a network of over 200 member companies in the vehicle logistics industry. The partnership will leverage their combined expertise to implement and promote best practices in carbon measurement, management, and reduction. This collaboration underscores both organizations' commitment to promoting sustainable practices and reducing carbon emissions in the transport and logistics sector.
The collaboration will focus on three key areas:
- Following the principles of the GLEC Framework, a global method for calculating and reporting of logistics emissions: ECG members will apply ECG-VDA sector specific guidance on emissions accounting and reporting in alignment with the GLEC Framework, the most recognized industry guidance to report and calculate logistics emissions according to the ISO 14083 standard. This will ensure consistent, transparent, and accurate reporting of carbon footprints, enabling companies to track and manage their emissions effectively.
- Development and updating of Industry-Specific Guidelines and Training: SFC and ECG will continue collaborating to create guidelines and training programs tailored to the unique challenges of the vehicle logistics sector. These resources will empower companies to implement practical and effective greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategies across their supply chains.
- Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement: The partnership will focus on raising awareness among key stakeholders, including vehicle manufacturers, logistics providers, and policymakers, about the importance of decarbonization in vehicle logistics. Joint initiatives will be launched to advocate for supportive policies and encourage the adoption of sustainable practices industry wide.
“At Smart Freight Centre, we believe that collaboration is key to driving meaningful change in the logistics sector,” said Christoph Wolff, Chief Executive Officer of Smart Freight Centre. “Our partnership with ECG represents a powerful alliance that will help vehicle logistics companies across Europe reduce their carbon footprint and move towards a more sustainable future.”
“ECG and SFC already successfully collaborated in the past two years to support vehicle logistics operators to measure their carbon footprint. With sustainability increasingly becoming a critical focus in the automotive and logistics industries, our formal partnership with Smart Freight Centre will further help our members and their customers, the car manufacturers, to achieve their environmental and decarbonization goals,” said Frank Schnelle, Executive Director designate at ECG. “Together, we aim to lead the way in reducing carbon emissions and setting new standards for sustainability in vehicle logistics.”
For more information, please visit Smart Freight Centre and ECG.
About Smart Freight Centre
Smart Freight Centre (SFC) is a globally active non-profit organization for climate action in the freight sector. Our goal is to mobilize the global logistics ecosystem, in particular our members and partners, in tracking and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. We accelerate the reduction of logistics emissions to achieve a zero-emission global logistics sector by 2050 or earlier, consistent with 1.5° pathways.
About ECG
ECG, the Association of European Vehicle Logistics, has been the voice of the Finished Vehicle Logistics industry in Europe since 1997. ECG represents the interests of more than 200 member companies and partners, from family owned SMEs to multi-nationals, and is the major champion of the European vehicle logistics sector.