ECG — 2024-11-19
News from ECG
Today, on Tuesday, 19th November, two days training in the sustainability and carbon emissions accounting for vehicle logistics started in Brussels. Around one hundred representatives from the FVL industry, both logistic service providers (LSPs) and OEMs, are participating to be prepared for the future.
“A guideline is just a guideline; the real work starts with the training,” says Dr. Stefan Doch, Managing Partner of ITCL Consulting and one of the experts in the project. He continues, “The training will demonstrate in real life that it’s effective and makes a difference. However, to succeed, the co-operation between the automotive industry and logistics service providers must continue.”
The work towards the standardized emission calculation methodology started in 2020 in the Sustainability Working Group of ECG - the Association of European Vehicle Logistics.
The project, conducted in collaboration with the VDA (Verband der Automobilindustrie) and other OEMs, resulted in the first guideline for a standard methodology for calculating and reporting automotive supply chain emissions from road, rail and maritime.
The working group was established as emissions calculation and reporting gained more importance at EU level and among car manufacturers in particular.
Why did ECG initiate the work with the guideline?
Andreea Maria Serbu, Senior Manager of External Affairs at ECG:
“We needed to find a way to support our members in their decarbonization efforts by publishing a guideline to facilitate the calculations of emissions.”
According to Stefan Doch, both OEMs and LSPs need to make an effort. “It’s important that the industry also stands together to implement the guideline. It’s still a task of co-operation for both parties. An important signal is that the OEMs are also at the training”.
During two days, around one hundred participants from over 50 companies, LSPs and automotive manufacturers (OEMs) meet in Brussels to be trained in emission calculation and reporting.
The trainers representing the FVL industry have extensive experience, including Daniel Gent from UECC and Tobias Carlén of AXESS Logistics. Both companies already use this methodology, ensuring training is relevant and user-friendly.
Daniel Gent, UECC:
“The principles of the methodology are the hardest part to understand. Once you have grasped them, you will find plenty of easy and practical applications for it. The training will deliver an explanation not only on how to use the methodology, but will also provide the important context for why the methodology is so. This is important to improve understanding and increase uptake in regular business operations.”
What are the participants learning during these two days?
Tobias Carlén, AXESS Logistics:
“The workshop aims to explain the emission calculation guidelines and also includes practical training and realistic calculation examples. I will be facilitating the truck calculation workshop, which is based on anonymized order and fuel data from Axess Logistics operations. In addition to practical calculation and reporting training, participants will also be bringing home a working reporting model that can serve as a starting point for their reporting to customers and regulatory parties.”
Why is it important for FVL companies to use this methodology?
“The ECG standard is a realistic path towards standardized emission reporting in the FVL sector”, says Tobias Carlén, continuing, “We need standardized emissions reporting in order to avoid a situation where customers create elaborate individual reporting requirements and LSPs start developing their own reporting models, potentially resulting in many incompatible reporting models, creating a risk of inflated costs and an uneven, competitive playing field. Without standards, we also create a trust problem when reported emissions form an important cost component in future contracts.”
Is the calculation method hard to handle?
“ECG's intentions are to keep the reporting as simple and straightforward as possible, while at the same time paving the way for increasingly precise emissions reporting, gradually using more precise real fuel and emissions data as the technology becomes available in newer trucks and onboard systems.”, says Tobias Carlén.
If you’re interested in more information, download the guideline here or contact info@ecgassociation.eu.