The transport industry is a major consumer of energy and most specifically it burns most of the world’s petroleum. The reliance on fossil fuels, especially in the trucking sector, also makes transport a major contributor of greenhouse gases into the environment. The rising costs of these fuels coupled with the need to improve on the impact that transport is having on the environment have inspired many transport companies to examine greener alternatives.
The most obvious improvement that can be made to current transport methods is to move to using fuels with less environmental impact. For the trucking industry this means a shift away from fossil fuels to bio fuels or cleaner natural gas to power their fleets. Many see natural gas as the key to a more sustainable future both environmentally and economically. Natural gas, in the form of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), produces over 25% less carbon emissions than diesel fuels. As one quarter of all of the carbon emissions in the US are generated by the transport industry, these reductions could make a significant improvement in the environment very quickly. Natural gas is also significantly cheaper than diesel and can reduce fuel bills by as much as 29%1.
The other area in which the transport industry is finding room for improvement is in the efficient use of the energy that is consumed. The development of the intermodal network in America and Europe has largely been focused on finding the most energy effective modes of transport for cargo in every stage of its transportation. Much of that efficiency is coming from more efficient use of the railways to move containerized cargo with rail using only one quarter of the fuel that is consumed by trucks to move the same cargo over the same distance2. At the same time the greater volume of cargo that can be moved by rail as compared to road makes the overall handling of freight in this way much more efficient and economical.
The greatest environmental innovations in transport are being driven by technology. The new fleet of E Class ships CMA CGM Marco Polo and her sister ships Alexander von Humbolt and Jules Verne3 have been designed with a host of technological methods for improving the efficient running of the ships as well as for reducing CO2 emissions. The drive towards greater efficiency in transport has shown that often, what is good for the environment is good for business as well.
References:
1. https://seekingalpha.com/article/1255181-asking-the-important-questions-about-clean-energy-fuels
2. https://www.uprr.com/she/emg/index.shtml
3. https://www.handyshippingguide.com/shipping-news/container-shipping-lines-have-new-services-whilst-one-freight-group-cleans-up_4458
