Climate change is a global challenge with a far-reaching impact on world economies. As such, companies must adopt green logistics in today’s global trade. Green logistics benefits businesses, allowing your company to save money and the environment while also meeting consumers’ desire to support sustainable companies.

Your supply chain and overall logistics are critical areas to focus on when it comes to sustainability. Your company can develop a green logistics policy with advanced technologies and strategies. Doing so will allow you to reap significant benefits from a greener approach to production and delivery in a global economy while working toward a carbon-neutral future.

Strategies for Achieving Carbon-neutral Logistics Goals

Building a greener supply chain and achieving carbon neutrality are top priorities for businesses in the shipping industry. There are a few particular areas you can focus on to work toward those goals:

Maximizing Shipping Efficiency

Businesses must determine their total carbon emissions from product transportation. That includes production emissions, packaging, and fuel for shipping. With a carbon footprint calculator, your business can develop an effective decarbonization plan to maximize shipping efficiency. 

The logistics industry relies on fossil fuels, such as freight carriers and trucks, to operate shipping transports. One way to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint is to slow down these vehicles, as slower transports burn less fuel. Harnessing the wind to speed up ship transportation is another green option for your business to consider. Additionally, delivery businesses can offset future carbon emissions by investing in electric or hybrid vehicles.

If investing in a new fleet isn’t a realistic option for your business, you may consider a split inventory strategy instead. A split inventory strategy is when a company has many locations, with some inventory stored at each one. It allows for more efficient order fulfillment by shipping from a location close to a customer.

Minimizing Packing and Inventory Waste

Minimizing packaging and inventory waste is another way to reduce carbon emissions. Try to decrease the amount of materials needed to package your products. Whenever possible, use materials that are better for the environment for packaging.

Further, if your company has too many products, that increases its carbon footprint. Excess inventory can harm the environment due to the pollution and waste associated with packaging, transit, and storage — in addition to the negative impacts it can have on your bottom line.

You can avoid these pitfalls by using forecasting strategies or a demand plan. A demand plan involves an appraisal of your current products, safety stock, and turnover ratio. You may find inaccurate inventory data after conducting an in-depth stock review, but that’s the purpose of the demand plan. You can avoid costly inventory issues using advanced warehouse management or wholesale software programs.

Technology and Sustainability Equals Efficiency

Your businesses can work to identify and solve supply chain problems using advanced technology. A supply chain’s feasibility has everything to do with its efficiency or lack thereof. Your business needs the right tech programs to effectively view and run supply chains from beginning to end, and ensure each link in the chain is as sustainable as possible.

Cloud-based computing reduces carbon emissions while increasing energy efficiency. If your business houses traditional servers, they produce heat; therefore, your data center must use cooling systems to prevent server overheating. That process adds to your business’s carbon footprint through energy waste. Moving data to the cloud reduces the carbon emissions from air conditioners and cooling systems. Finally, logical order fulfillment backed by digital management can shorten your supply chain, lowering emissions.

Further, IoT (Internet of Things) and AI platforms can analyze and predict your organization’s supply chain logistics. These programs may save your business money while lessening its carbon footprint. Furthermore, these transparent programs will help your company meet global net-zero goals.

The Branding Benefits of Carbon-neutral Policies

Companies using sustainable practices have seen a positive increase in public perception. A growing number of consumers have concerns about the changing climate and want to support sustainable businesses that are working to minimize their own environmental impacts.

You can cultivate goodwill and expand your market by addressing customer demand for carbon-neutral shipping and packaging. Transparency regarding your company’s carbon-neutral policies is a smart way to create an association between your brand and green logistics. Let customers know the types of eco-friendly packaging and materials you use, such as corrugated bubble wrap, bioplastics, and plant fibers.

Company branding linked with forward-thinking approaches to carbon neutrality can lead to higher sales, a larger consumer base, and a healthier environment.

Getting Your Team to Go Green

While the benefits of going green are clear, getting buy-in from your team is key for these changes to work in the long term. Your employees will make decisions in their daily work that directly impact your organization’s ability to achieve its goals.

However, employee buy-in needs to be earned. It occurs through project transparency, asking for feedback, and implementing employee ideas. Teamwork is critical to success, so asking for and listening to your employees’ concerns is necessary. You can also use creative activities to encourage team bonding and brainstorming for new projects.

Company leaders should always recognize employee contributions through meetings, feedback, notes, or emails. If you don’t acknowledge employee input, getting employees on board with the new policy is much harder. Employees who feel seen and respected are likelier to show more effort and be open-minded to shifting policies and projects.

A Sustainability Role on the Global Stage

The ongoing climate crisis is causing many companies to transition toward a low-carbon economy. Net-zero carbon policies may improve global trade patterns, moving the business world toward reducing wasted energy, production, and consumption. By using green strategies and technologies, your business can stake its claim with a carbon-neutral role on the global trade stage.