ECG — 2026-02-06
News from ECG
Two days of discussion on sustainability are certainly not enough, but it is another step towards deeper collaboration across the whole Finished Vehicle Logistics (FVL), as the Association of European Vehicle Logistics (ECG) gathered OEMs and member companies to explore practical solutions for a greener, more efficient sector.
The meeting took place at the Daimler truck premises in Wörth, Germany, on 4-5 February 2026. The theme of the event was “Accelerating decarbonisation in FVL”. The OEMs were invited to promote collaboration between OEMs and LSPs.
The first day focused on emissions reporting, the framework for funding green transformation and initiatives, from green corridors and electric freight to sustainable port operations.
Several expert presentations, real-world case studies, and workshops ensured that knowledge became best practices. The event was moderated by Mats Eriksson, CEO of AXESS Logistics and a long-serving board member of ECG, as well as the co-chair of the sustainability working group.
Frank Schnelle, Executive Director ECG, set the tone by underlining what defines the Association: focusing on solutions that are within our control, rather than lamenting what cannot be done. The event also marked the kick off the second phase of the ECG sustainability strategy, aimed at further advancing decarbonisation, sharing best practices, and working jointly on the topics that still need to be solved.
“The first phase, establishing a robust foundation for emissions calculation in close cooperation with OEMs under the leadership of the VDA, has been successfully completed”, Frank Schnelle said. “Building on this, the next step is underway. Following the cooperation agreement signed last year with the Smart Freight Centre, the ECG guidelines are now being translated into the GLEC Framework, creating an internationally aligned and globally applicable approach to emissions calculation and reporting”.
Frank Schnelle also thanked Daimler Truck for hosting and sponsoring together with Milence, STS Logistics, Etecture and Ermewa. He also announced a partnership with the Smart Freight Centre to transform their emission guidelines into a GLEC framework for a global approach. The framework was further presented by Patric Pütz, Technical Director at the Smart Freight Centre.
Jürgen Distl, Head of Operations Daimler Truck, was the Key Note Speaker, sharing their company´s commitment to sustainability, and stated that sustainability is not a trend, but a matter of personal and business responsibility, acknowledging that while profitability and sustainability may initially seem at odds, they align in the long term.
Dr Stefan Doch, Managing Director and Senior Partner at ITCL, discussed emissions calculation, customer data exchange, and the book-and-claim process as a foundation, and how the ECG provides an “end-to-end toolbox” for sustainability in FVL, enabling LSPs to become drivers of decarbonisation. He also discussed the Green Cost Calculator to accelerate the transition to electric trucks, specifically by addressing current financial uncertainties and hesitations that hinder investment. The central proposal is the development of a dynamic cost index tool, referred to as an “E-truck floater” or “cost tag calculator”, to bridge the economic gap between conventional and electric trucks.
Lutz Fricke, Head of Sustainability at Mosolf, gave a practical example from a pilot project in which Mosolf, as LSP, collaborated with Mercedes-Benz and Cozero, as the emissions calculation partner, to implement the ECG guideline.
Tobias Carlén, CTO at AXESS Logistics, showed another example of their own-built CO2 reporting system to simplify the implementation of emission standards, accurately assign CO2 to customers, and address data quality issues.
The ECG Emissions calculation and reporting guideline has been updated as of now.
Levent Yuksel, Freight Operations Director at Jaguar Land Rover and co-chair of the ECG Working Group on sustainability, discussed Green Corridors and the TEN-T network. To develop partnerships and pilot projects, scale alternative fuel infrastructure, promote rail freight, upgrade and connect multimodal infrastructure, harmonise cross-border regulations and the technological and policy development.
“For sustainability in logistics, nothing can be achieved individually,” Levent Yuksel said. “I cannot imagine a more independent ecosystem that relies on every stakeholder to play their part and share the responsibility. Each party can achieve some progress to a certain level on their own, but the challenge ahead is so huge and the time is becoming tighter in terms of gaining meaningful ground in this effort to reduce emissions before it is too late”.
Tim Verhoeven, Senior Policy Advisor, European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), talked about Sustainable practices in European ports, and Mirjam Peters, Chief Customer Sustainability Officer, Höegh Autoliners, stated that sustainability always comes with a cost, exemplifying that technological improvements in shipping can get us to a certain point, but that a deeper change require alternative fuels. She presented the investment in 12 environmentally friendly car carriers, marking an important step towards the net-zero goal in 2040. Mirjam Peters also said that Höegh Autoliners, as part of the RORO industry, are nominated as the number one cleanest PCTC fleet operating globally. “We are proud of that result, but nothing happened overnight. We have optimised basically everything that you can imagine”, she said, explaining they will start to use ammonia in 2027 after a big investment.
Thomas Fabian, Chief Commercial Vehicles Office at ACEA, discussed the challenges and key elements of BEV truck deployment. He stated that Europe´'s ZEV market is growing, but too slowly to meet the 2030 targets, and that the main bottleneck is not supply but demand and Total Cost of Ownership. Fabian also said that the fragmented implementation of EU and national policies weakens impact and slows the transition, also stating that public and private depot infrastructure rollout is improving, but many projects struggle to unlock private capital.
Florian Bittlingmaier, key account manager OEM at Milence, spoke about Powering corridors for zero-emission trucks and the thousands of electric trucks already operating, with significant growth expected due to European regulations and new OEM models.
The second day was more hands-on, with interactive group sessions on low-emission shipping, decarbonisation of road transport, charging infrastructure, fleet transition, and emissions data and reporting. Among the results of the discussions were calls for collaboration across the industry, a better understanding of regulations through webinars and events, establishing a joint strategy focused on electrification, addressing challenges around charging, and establishing best practices.
To conclude the days, individual efforts are necessary, but even better in combination with collaboration to boost efficiency.