The Freight Transport Association has welcomed the conclusions of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Freight Carbon Review, published today. Based largely on the success of FTA’s Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme (LCRS), government has decided to continue working with industry to improve freight’s carbon performance.

The LCRS was endorsed by the Department for Transport in 2011 and has shown over the last three years that industry is capable of voluntarily recording and reporting carbon emissions without the need for additional tax and regulation. Additionally, the scheme has set a carbon reduction target to reduce the carbon intensity of its freight operations by 8 per cent by 2015 against a 2010 baseline.

Rachael Dillon, FTA’s Climate Change Policy Manager said:

“The Freight Carbon Review clearly shows the benefits of an industry-led approach to carbon reduction which has been successfully demonstrated by the Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme. We welcome the Department’s decision to continue to work with industry on carbon reduction rather than introducing regulation.”

In order to maintain a voluntary approach, government wants to see more progress from those areas of the industry that are not part of the Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme.
Dillon added:

“It is not just FTA but logistics companies themselves that have developed a workable carbon reporting scheme for industry and we encourage those who have not already done so to join the LCRS and ensure that a voluntary approach to carbon reduction continues.”