The future has caught up with the world, making sustainability a primary concern in companies’ strategies. Climate change demands that transportation moves towards greener solutions and reduces its carbon emissions, as this is an issue that cannot be further postponed.
In the Sustainable Logistics panel: Navigating between the Green and Grey of the XIV Leschaco Logistics and Transport Seminar, specialists detailed the logistics horizon in the face of the challenges posed by this transition to cleaner transportation.
Torsten Nolting, General Manager of Hapag-Lloyd AG in Mexico, pointed out that the world has changed, and actions need to be taken. Although logistics face challenges every day, sustainability must take priority.
“The terminal is not working, the ship is late, there are no trucks, there are blockades, customs is not working as it should. These problems are minor; sustainability is an issue to save humanity, and we have not yet grasped it,” he emphasized.
In line with this, Daniel Wasserteil, Chief Sustainability Officer of Traxión, stated that awareness of global warming must be created within each person, each worker, to involve them in this fight.
“Every time we start a truck, we are warming the planet, every time we turn on a switch, we turn on the light, we are doing it, and that is the main message we must convey,” said Wasserteil.
On his part, Enrique Schleske, Head of Supply Chain for Latin America at Henkel, added that it is a matter of habits and awareness of practices in the workplace, in production plants, with business partners, and clients.
In this regard, he mentioned that Henkel aims to reduce over 100 million CO2 emissions from 2017 to 2032 through transportation and factories; for example, all their packaging will be recyclable and reusable within two years.
Regarding Hapag-Lloyd, Nolting assured that they are considering this issue as one of the main parts of their strategy, so they are investing $700 million to take some actions.
For instance, the shipping company is conducting tests with non-fossil fuels, such as ammonia, hydrogen, as well as exploring how to harness the wind, and in 2023, they consumed 200,000 tons of renewable fuels.
Hapag-Lloyd aims to reduce 30% of the emissions emitted in 2022 by 2030, and by 2045, they are committed to emitting zero CO2 for their fleet of 260 ships.
“We all have to contribute; we all have to go together. We have to save the planet; each one of us can contribute something. We are still far from emitting zero emissions as an industry, but we have made progress in recent years,” Nolting assured.
Daniel Wasserteil mentioned that Traxión is electrifying last-mile transportation; however, for heavy transportation, it is not yet possible due to the challenges this industry still faces, such as infrastructure, so they are also conducting tests to include green fuels.
“Beyond tests, it’s a matter of capabilities, understanding, and removing fear; the team needs to know that there are other fuels in electric vehicles that there must be infrastructure to generate internal confidence,” he said.
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