The scope of PLVB considers every logistics activity, however with an initial focus on freight transport, in road transportation.
Beginning in July 2016, PLVB established an agenda with the primary objective of developing, drafting and publishing documents, promoting training and disseminating knowledge to improve logistics efficiency and sustainability with a focus on freight transportation. These actions include: (1) leveraging similar programs already existing in Member Companies; (2) national and international experience on the topic; and (3) consistent consolidation of expected results with the aim of establishing a Freight Transport Green Label Recognition System, scheduled for launch by mid-2020.
This journey enabled the launch of the Reference Guide on Sustainability: Best Practices for Freight Transport (2017), Application Handbook: Best Practices for Freight Transport (2018) and the Excellence Guide on Sustainability: Best Practices for Freight Transport (2019), as well as additional documents to support promoting sustainability in logistics and the dissemination of good practices and success stories in the “green freight” area through the promotion of training programs, events and communication in different media.
In addition, PLVB also seeks to identify and detail different methods of measuring energy efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in order to establish a methodology in line with international practice and standardization, in particular, with the Smart Freight Center´s GLEC Protocol. (SFC) and the draft ISO IWA 16 standard.
| OVERALL OBJECTIVE | |
| The Brazilian Green Logistics Program (Programa de Logística Verde Brasil – PLVB) is a strategic initiative of a group of private companies (named Program Member Companies) that reflects their commitment to corporate socio-environmental responsibility. PLVB seeks to capture, integrate, consolidate and apply knowledge with the objective of reducing the intensity of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in particular, carbon dioxide (CO2), air pollutants and also improve the efficiency of logistics and freight transportation in Brazil. PLVB works through the progressive development of a national logistics sustainability program that will give autonomy and will train shippers, carriers, logistics service providers and all other agents that support and/or act in these activities. | |
| GOVERNANCE AND FUNDING | |
| PROGRAM TYPE | PLVB is program led by shippers, logistics service providers and carriers with the coordination of the academy. |
| SECRETARIAT | The program is managed by a consortium including private companies and the academy. |
| FUNDING SOURCE | The program is funded thought membership fees. |
| PROGRAM SCOPE | |
| GEOGRAPHY | PLVB operates at a national (Brazilian) level. It is possible to extend it to consider a regional level (South or Latin America). |
| MODE | PLVB has multimodal approach (road, rail, inland waterways, sea, air, pipelines, transshipment centers and warehouses). |
| MEMBERS | The program targets a combination of shippers, carriers, logistic service providers, transshipment centers and warehouse service providers as members. |
| EMISSIONS | PLVB covers the emissions of CO2/CO2e, air pollutants (CO, SOx, NOx, PM, HC) and black carbon. |
| SOLUTIONS | The Program primarily considers 22 best practices covering vehicle solutions (e.g. biofuels, green tires, aerodynamic enhancement, telematics, electric vehicles etc.), fleet operation (e.g. vehicle charging optimization, vehicle sharing), Eco driving, intelligent routing etc.), modal transfer (e.g. from trucks or vans do bikes), intermodal transport etc.) among other solutions. |
| PROGRAM COMPONENTS | |
| TARGETS | The program requires members to set targets in accordance to their knowledge, background and common sense and based on the experience of national and international stakeholders. |
| ACTIONS | PLVB requires its members to develop action plans and implement actions based on acquired and shared knowledge as the program evolves. This is done with the guidance of the academy. |
| MEASUREMENT REPORTING & VERIFICATION | PLVB recommends that its members measure, report, and verify their data. However, a standard for this procedure is still in development. and will be part of the Freight Transport Green Label Recognition System. |
| COLLABORATION & EXCHANGE | The program facilitates collaboration and exchange between members and with external stakeholders through meetings/events, case studies of implemented actions and establishment of partnerships. |
| LABELS & RECOGNITION | PLVB recognizes Program Members Companies through publicity, promotion and marketing and will use the Freight Transport Green Label Recognition System, scheduled for launch by mid-2020. |
Sustainability in logistics, the challenge of the 21st century!
Logistics is a vital activity for society as it supplies goods and services and expands companies’ financial performance, representing from 7% to 9% of the World’s gross domestic product (GDP) and about 12% of the Brazilian GDP [1]. However, it consumes a significant volume of energy (between 9% and 12% of the energy consumed in the World [2] and around 19% of the energy consumed in Brazil [3], [4]), has potential to damage local air quality, to generate noise and vibration, to causes accidents, to produce solid and liquid waste and to contribute to global warming, which is currently the greatest environmental challenge on the planet.
In this context, due to its almost total dependence on the use of petroleum-derived fuels, freight transport, one of the main logistics functions, is an important contributor of the global carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) that is the main greenhouse gas (GHG) and contributes to climate change resulting from global warming.
The concept of logistics is associated with the management (planning, implementation and control) of the flow of materials, information and/or services from the point of origin (suppliers) to the point of consumption (final client) to meet requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics’ main objectives are total costs reduction and improvement of level of service. Going beyond the traditional view, logistics must also aim at the reduction of the environmental impacts promoted by its activities, mainly in relation to freight transport, one of its most important functions.
The expansion of this conceptual horizon leads to terms such as low-carbon logistics, green logistics and sustainable logistics, which add to the term “logistics” the comprehensiveness of socio-environmental aspects. It should be noted that low-carbon logistics specifically seeks to reduce the use of fossil fuels and CO2 emissions; green logistics demands the consideration of other environmental attributes such as emission of air pollutants, noise and vibration generation, water consumption and solid and liquid waste production and sustainable logistics is the most comprehensive, as it considers the social aspect to the assessment of logistics performance.
World-class companies with global performance have already realized the importance of establishing and reaching goals committed to the concept of sustainable logistics. Moreover, the terms “green” and “sustainable” go far beyond a commitment to the environment and represent in fact the practice of actions that enhance an effectiveness of its operations and represent a matter of survival in the market.
Overcome the challenge of extending the conceptual horizon of the term logistics, reinforcing the commitment to a corporate social and environmental responsibility can be done through good practices that seek to conciliate profit maximization and increase the level of service and the competitiveness of companies, without compromising their socio-environmental performance.
Induce this process and consolidate good practices for freight transport and logistics that specifically address the Brazilian reality and the Member Companies’ operational profile and make them available in the form of a set of guides, manuals, training programs and systems. recognition standards justify the PLVB initiative and underpins its promotion.
[1] Panorama ILOS 2016.
[2] Sims R., R. Schaeffer, F. Creutzig, X. Cruz-Núñez, M. D’Agosto, D. Dimitriu, M. J. Figueroa Meza, L. Fulton, S. Kobayashi, O. Lah, A. McKinnon, P. Newman, M. Ouyang, J. J. Schauer, D. Sperling, and G. Tiwari, 2014: Transport. In: Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovern- mental Panel on Climate Change [Edenhofer, O., R. Pichs-Madruga, Y. Sokona, E. Farahani, S. Kadner, K. Seyboth, A. Adler, I. Baum, S. Brunner, P. Eickemeier, B. Kriemann, J. Savolainen, S. Schlömer, C. von Stechow, T. Zwickel and J.C. Minx (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
[3] [R]Evolução Energética, Rumo a um Brasil com 100% de energias limpas e renováveis. Cenário 2016, Greenpeace Brasil, São Paulo, SP
[4] D´Agosto; Márcio de Almeida. Transporte, Uso de Energia e Impactos Ambientais. Uma Abordagem Introdutória. 1ª Ed., Elsevier, 2015.