Drinks company Diageo has joined companies such as Tesco and Coca Cola as part of an HGV decarbonisation action group.
The HGVzero group of shipping and haulage businesses, which was established last year and is led by Innovation Gateway, met last week to launch ‘HGVzero 2023’ which is focused on HGV decarbonisation across the UK and Europe.
The group brings together founding members such as Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Tesco, XPO Logistics and Stobart, with new members including Diageo, Yusen Logistics, Clugstons, Gregory Distribution, Green 2 Delivery, and more. The aim is to accelerate the decarbonisation of their collective fleets.
Within the first six months of the newly established programme, members will address practical challenges, co-develop solutions, and tackle the complex pinch points to progress successful low-carbon HGV rollouts.
Included in this move will be mapping market ready innovations, transition fuel options, maintenance and battery considerations, and challenges of multi-modal. The group will also look at ways to support charging and hydrogen-based infrastructure advancement.
Members understand the transition to zero emission HGVs is urgent in terms of meeting global climate targets but recognise it is one of the most complex logistics challenges of these times.
Ian Anderton, projects & supply chain senior manager of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, said the new members to HGVzero “will enable us to further accelerate our collective ambition to decarbonise fleet logistics”.
Dr Nicholas Head, head of sustainability UK & Ireland for XPO Logistics, added: “Being part of this collaborative action group and working with other leading haulage and global shippers to accelerate decarbonisation of HGV transport has already provided immense value to us as an organisation.”
Matt Pumfrey, CEO of Innovation Gateway, remarked: “By collaborating and bringing the broad stakeholder community together we have a greater opportunity to accelerate change with reduced risk and cost.”
[Image credit: Green Retail World]
