10 Addressing carbon emissions is not just a moral requirement but a business necessity. South Africa ranks among the top 20 countries globally in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. The logistics sector is one of the biggest contributors to South Africa’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The transport sector in particular accounts for 10.8% of the country’s total GHG emissions. NCT, like many companies, faces the challenge of reducing its carbon footprint while maintaining operational efficiency. Understanding the intricacies of carbon emission calculations is crucial. Traditional methods like the Energy Approach, while effective for companies with in-house transport fleets, may not suit NCT’s operations. Instead, the Activity-Based Approach emerges as a tailored solution. By considering factors like tonnes transported, average distance travelled, and CO2 emissions per tonne-kilometre, NCT can gauge its carbon output. Before this methodology is applied, decarbonisation efforts need to be in place for the transport of timber from farm to mill. This is the process of reducing or eliminating the carbon emissions associated with transportation. Why decarbonise? First, as part of ESG compliance and reporting, NCT would look at ways to reduce its carbon footprint, Second, by considering decarbonisation, transport cost savings can also be achieved. What are some of the strategies deployed by NCT? • NCT’s logistics department works closely with the Road Transport Management System (RTMS) to reduce overloading and promote driver training and wellness. Heavy overloading impacts significantly on carbon emissions. Extra fuel consumption associated with overloading leads to higher emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants, whilst improved advanced driver training enhances fuel-efficient driving. • PBS vehicles, with their higher payloads, alleviates congestion, overloading, and subsequently, carbon emissions. This also offers direct transport cost savings for the timber grower. Load factor savings are achievable through greater payloads, which further optimise operational efficiency while concurrently reducing environmental impacts. • Efficient Logistics Planning: i.e. Optimised scheduling, swap agreements, and route planning not only allow for economical transport rates but also reduce total number of vehicle trips and carbon emissions. In some instances, backhauls are also done to reduce empty runs, vehicle trips and improves efficiency. • Consolidating volumes at strategic depots plays a pivotal role in emission reduction efforts. Depots not only reduce travel time but also contribute to minimising carbon emissions economy of scale. • Modal Shift: Although rail has been a dwindling service for timber growers. Efforts to utilise rail where possible will continue to be a work in progress. Rail is considered a greener mode of transportation. (Merisha Bepat – Business and Logistics Analyst) Commercial Department
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