| Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is increasingly | | | | these on previously used brown field sites rather |
| taken seriously by businesses of all kinds – and | | | | than green field locations. |
| that includes freight forwarders who are responsible | | | | And at an infrastructure level, there is European |
| for organising the International movement of goods | | | | government interest in further developing the role of |
| by Road, Sea or Air. Over recent years there has | | | | both railways and inland waterways in freight |
| been growing concerns about the environmental | | | | transport, so as to reduce the impact on the |
| impact of freight transport. | | | | environment as both of these modes of transport |
| The European Commission defines CSR as ‘the | | | | are considered to have a much lower carbon |
| willing inclusion by businesses of social and | | | | footprint than road particularly when the movement |
| environmental concerns in their commercial activities | | | | involves freight shipments that are heavy and or |
| and their relations with stakeholders.’ So | | | | bulky. |
| businesses that are aware of their CSR are likely to | | | | By responding to growing interest in protecting the |
| look to their freight company to try to minimise the | | | | environment, the international freight industry is also |
| environmental impact of their freight forwarding and | | | | able to make savings that can be passed onto |
| international freight transport. | | | | freight forwarding customers, for example the |
| The British International Freight Association (BIFA) | | | | savings in fuel costs as a result of investing in the |
| has highlighted that some freight forwarding | | | | latest fuel efficient vehicles or aircraft. In an era of |
| companies are now looking to ensure that the | | | | ever increasing fuel costs these savings can form a |
| environmental impact of freight forwarding can be | | | | highly significant proportion of total freight transport |
| kept to a minimum. This includes helping to educate | | | | costs. |
| customers on ways help make freight transport | | | | ICT has also made a difference to freight |
| more environmentally friendly. Many deep sea shipping | | | | forwarders’ impact on the environment, with a |
| companies operating from the Far East and Asia to | | | | lot of the documentation and freight transport |
| Europe have recently agreed to cut the speed of | | | | updates now being made electronically rather than by |
| their container services by 10% and some UK – | | | | using paper. So how far will shipping companies go as |
| Irish ferries will also be going slower, making the | | | | they look to become more sustainable in the future? |
| shipping company customers wait a little longer for | | | | Reducing the environmental impact of freight |
| their freight forwarding but reducing carbon emissions. | | | | transport is a big challenge but one that the freight |
| Another area where freight forwarding companies | | | | transport industry is rising to meet. In future, it is |
| are looking to reduce their impact on the | | | | likely that the international freight industry will |
| environment is taking away for recycling the | | | | segment, as many other markets have already done, |
| cardboard and other packaging used to protect | | | | to include ‘green’ options for freight |
| goods during freight forwarding. Where new | | | | services, catering for the needs of those businesses |
| warehouses and depots are being built by shipping | | | | that are demanding them. |
| companies, there is now more interest in developing | | | | |