Greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere with the effect of industrial and agricultural activities, especially the use of fossil fuels, increased the average temperatures measured around the world. Increasing temperature, desertification, precipitation imbalance, drought, storm etc., which can be seen as the results of global climate change. It also causes meteorological events such as. Transnational policies are developed to reduce the effects of climate change on the world's living life and ecological balance. The climate crisis is addressed in the global arena with regulations such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, although their activities and their contributions to achieve the intended results are discussed. The global climate crisis is also on the agenda of regional economic and political organizations, and the European Union comes first among these organizations.
With the European Green Agreement announced at the end of 2019, the European Commission shared its new environmental plans with the world public. The agreement requires a radical and environmentally friendly transformation, especially the industrial activities in the European Union, and within this scope, it is aimed to reduce carbon emissions by 2030% below 1990 levels by 55, and to make the continent a carbon-neutral area by 2050 with the goal of zero carbon emissions. The plan of the European Union is not limited to the European continent, and the trade partners and neighbors of the EU will be directly affected by the measures envisaged in this plan in the steps to be taken towards climate change, which is a global problem by its nature.
In the middle of September 2020, the European Commission shared its report on the reflection of the 2030 targets on various sectors. In the report published by the Commission, evaluations are made for all sectors engaged in economic activity. One of these sectors is the transportation and logistics sectors that have an important share in greenhouse gas emissions. The targeted reduction in carbon emissions will be achieved with tools such as the combination of different transport modes, changes in the fuel mix, more widespread use of sustainable transport types, digitalization and incentive mechanisms.
The report submitted by the European Commission includes the following recommendations on the transport and logistics industry.
• Renewable energy: The transport sector will need to increase its share of renewable energy to around 2030% by 24 through the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels such as electrification, advanced biofuels or other sustainable alternatives. There will also be a need for infrastructure to ensure the large-scale distribution of renewable energies.
• Sustainable alternative fuels for aviation and marine: In order to improve the efficiency of aircraft, ships and their operations, and to increase the use of sustainably produced renewable and low-carbon fuels, both sectors will need to scale up their work in this area.
• EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) for Road: The expansion of the ETS, which is currently on the agenda by the Commission, will likely cover road transport emissions. The Commission will try to include the road in its legal proposal for the extension of the ETS. However, there are indications that the Presidency of the Commission has doubts whether such a measure is appropriate for the road transport sector.
• EU ETS for aviation and marine: The Commission notes that the EU should continue to regulate intra-EU aviation emissions, at least in the ETS, and include intra-EU maritime transport in the ETS.
• CO2 emission performance standards for vehicles: While the Commission plans to reconsider and strengthen the 2030 CO2 emission performance standards for cars and vans, trucks are currently not covered, as the 2022 standards for trucks are scheduled to be reviewed in 2030.
• Phase out of internal combustion engines in vehicles: The Commission will consider when it will be necessary to stop the supply of internal combustion engines in automobiles to the EU internal market. For now, this plan is only for conventional cars, but the Commission mentions that trucks will also need to be evaluated in this respect.
The ways in which the EU emission reduction target can be achieved will be determined by developing legislative proposals by the Commission. Until June 2021, the current legislation will be reviewed and necessary changes will be made.
European Green Consensus also concern the determination of results and planning for Turkey's steps to be taken towards them is important in several ways. The first of these are the measures to be taken of industries engaged in production for Turkey's foreign trade. Turkey likely impact on the industry of carbon border taxes to be placed in order to protect the competitiveness of European firms engaged in environment-friendly production should be evaluated. Low-emission producing countries will have an advantageous position in trade with the EU. When considering that half of Turkey's exports to EU countries, it arises the importance of measures to be taken.
Another area to be planned is the transportation sector. The targets to be set by the EU regarding the transport sector, which can be considered as an integral part of foreign trade, will be reflected in the transport sector as well as in the production sector. For this reason, it may be necessary to shift the freight transported mainly by road to environmentally friendly transport types such as rail and combined transport, the correct design of logistics centers where freight transfer between transport types is facilitated, and legislative and implementation changes that will be brought on the basis of sustainability principle. Investing in environmentally friendly technologies, encouraging these investments, developing and facilitating the physical and legislative infrastructure of transit transportation can be considered as other measures to be taken.
The Sustainable Logistics Certificate, which was created and introduced for the first time by UTIKAD at the 2014nd FIATA World Congress organized by UTIKAD in 52 with the motto of Sustainable Growth in Logistics in Istanbul, is one of the absolute indicators of the importance that UTIKAD attributes to the sustainability of the industry. Within the scope of the certificate, sustainability is not only reduced to climate change, but a holistic approach has been developed to the sustainability of companies operating in the logistics sector in a wide perspective from employee rights to customer satisfaction system. UTIKAD received the Low Carbon Hero Award given to organizations that support the fight against climate change by reducing their carbon footprint within the scope of the 2018th Istanbul Carbon Summit held in XNUMX with the Sustainable Logistics Certificate initiative.
UTIKAD's sustainability journey has also been carried to the international arena, representing at the CLECAT Sustainable Logistics Institute and the Presidency of the FIATA Sustainable Logistics Working Group, which was undertaken by UTIKAD General Manager Cavit Uğur in 2019. In the FIATA Sustainable Logistics Working Group, it is stated that the sustainability of the logistics sector is possible with a comprehensive approach to the subject and the projects developed by the working group are evaluated within this framework.
Alperen Guler
UTIKAD Sectoral Relations Manager
Be the first to comment