Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies in Global Road Logistics: A Comparative Analysis of Industry Practices
Nygård, Eva (2025)
2025
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202505069278
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202505069278
Tiivistelmä
Due to the global rise in demand for logistics services and the awareness of the negative impacts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the environment, the shift towards more sustainable logistics transport services has been on the rise and continues to be. With the world set for net-zero emissions by 2050, a thorough review of the currently deployed GHG emissions reducing strategies by the top logistics companies in the industry is limited and fragmented. This gap in comprehensive analysis hinders the ability to identify best practices and areas needing improvement. The main objective of this thesis report is to comprehensively gather and analyse different GHG reduction measures taken by logistics companies in their road transport operations.
The five studied companies, DSV, DB Schenker, DHL Group, Kuehne+Nagel and JAS, were chosen for their expansive road transport networks and their transparency in providing reports and numbers detailing their implementation of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Data was primarily gathered through the companies’ annual reports as well as their sustainability reports and was utilised to compare and benchmark the effectiveness of implemented sustainability strategies. The report revealed that all five logistics companies conduct practices to reduce their GHG emissions withing their value chain and beyond it. Through measures such as sustainable fuels, electric vehicles, supply chain optimisation, sustainable warehousing, CO₂ reporting and Book&Claim the companies have decreased their GHG emissions substantially within their supply chain. Additionally, carbon offsetting was utilised to enhance sustainability, as this measure does not directly reduce GHG emissions in the company’s value chain but contributes to the goal of achieving net-zero emissions. As such, the investigated logistics companies were ranked based on the scope and effectiveness of their GHG reducing strategies as follows: DSV at first place, followed by Kuehne+Nagel and DHL Group whose positions are interchangeable, then DB Schenker and finally JAS.
The findings demonstrate that significant progress in reducing GHG emissions has been made, yet more measures have to be taken to achieve the goal of net-zero. There is a need for a more unified and transparent approach to GHG reduction strategies across the logistics industry. Enhancing collaboration among companies could lead to more effective and widespread adoption of best practices. This also supports the innovation and development of new technologies that advance the transition to green logistics. Furthermore, customers possess the willingness to pay for green logistics, but these services have to be made cost-effective which highlights the importance of continuous improvement and adaptation to achieve long-term sustainability in the logistics industry.
The five studied companies, DSV, DB Schenker, DHL Group, Kuehne+Nagel and JAS, were chosen for their expansive road transport networks and their transparency in providing reports and numbers detailing their implementation of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Data was primarily gathered through the companies’ annual reports as well as their sustainability reports and was utilised to compare and benchmark the effectiveness of implemented sustainability strategies. The report revealed that all five logistics companies conduct practices to reduce their GHG emissions withing their value chain and beyond it. Through measures such as sustainable fuels, electric vehicles, supply chain optimisation, sustainable warehousing, CO₂ reporting and Book&Claim the companies have decreased their GHG emissions substantially within their supply chain. Additionally, carbon offsetting was utilised to enhance sustainability, as this measure does not directly reduce GHG emissions in the company’s value chain but contributes to the goal of achieving net-zero emissions. As such, the investigated logistics companies were ranked based on the scope and effectiveness of their GHG reducing strategies as follows: DSV at first place, followed by Kuehne+Nagel and DHL Group whose positions are interchangeable, then DB Schenker and finally JAS.
The findings demonstrate that significant progress in reducing GHG emissions has been made, yet more measures have to be taken to achieve the goal of net-zero. There is a need for a more unified and transparent approach to GHG reduction strategies across the logistics industry. Enhancing collaboration among companies could lead to more effective and widespread adoption of best practices. This also supports the innovation and development of new technologies that advance the transition to green logistics. Furthermore, customers possess the willingness to pay for green logistics, but these services have to be made cost-effective which highlights the importance of continuous improvement and adaptation to achieve long-term sustainability in the logistics industry.