Discovering what we can do to shape the future
World Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd to raise awareness of our impact on the environment and how we can protect the planet.
Currently, over 190 countries participate in World Earth Day, with more than 1 billion people getting involved to change human behaviour and create local, national and global policy changes.
Since the first World Earth Day in 1970, the long-lasting impact it has created has been felt: 100s of millions of trees have been planted, 2.7 billion acts of green have been made and 36 million cleanup volunteers have supported along the way.
Our environmental impact
This World Earth Day it’s important we recognise both the individual and corporate impact we have on the environment. Knowledge empowers us to think differently and provide new solutions which may not have been possible before.
We believe that if we support our customers and suppliers now in managing their approach to sustainability, even the smallest of changes can have large impacts.
We understand that for change to happen, we must collaborate with our team, customers and suppliers to drive the force. Due to this, we created our Sustainable Freight Network.
Our Sustainable Freight Network is passionate about driving change in our industry. From supporting our suppliers with reporting emissions to shedding light on complex jargon – we’re here to help!
Being the UK Sales Partner of DHL means we have access to their GoGreen initiative which includes a fleet of fully electric vehicles. Furthermore, by working with the Smart Freight Centre, members of Team Baxter are increasing their environmental knowledge by becoming Sustainable Freight practitioners.
In addition to supporting our customers and suppliers with environmental knowledge – we also recognise the need to become more sustainable internally.
Because of this, we’re changing all lights in our office to be energy-efficient LEDs, using bio-friendly cleaning products and having separate recycling bins for electronics, plastic and coffee grounds, so that they avoid landfill. We also support Nottingham City Council with our Lunchtime Litter-Picking Club. Our Clean Champions help keep our community litter free and have collected nearly 40 bags of rubbish so far!
Logistics impact on the environment
The logistics industry is currently one of the most impactful to the environment. With the UK governments pledge to becoming net zero by 2050 – the time to take action is now!
The European Environment Agency have warned that global greenhouse gas emissions produced by logistics may rise to 40% by 2050 unless strong actions are taken.
As the industry continues to expand, the need for creating more eco-conscious supply chains is of high importance.
Despite emission-free electric vehicles being transformative for the industry, it will be years until these are fully implemented across all supply chains.
In the meantime, businesses can optimise routes, track empty miles, maximise product loads per shipment and use plastic pallets when moving goods.
With the fast-moving and complex nature of logistics, it is hard to fully reduce to environmental impact to zero. However, these considerations can enable more circular and efficient supply chains, all whilst decreasing costs.
Reporting emissions
The 2015 Paris Agreement outlined the importance of net zero, and how carbon reporting is instrumental in achieving this. By reporting what is being emitted, we are able to gain an understanding on how to create necessary change.
Scope 1 – direct company owned or controlled emissions occurring at source
Scope 2 – emissions associated with the production of energy consumed by a company
Scope 3 – indirect emissions associated with company activities from sources not owned or controlled by a company
By 2025, the UK government will require all business to provide reports for all three scopes.
What can you do?
If you need a sustainable way to transport your goods across Europe, our Consolidate solution is the greenest option! Our team of specialists are experts in groupage freight, and will support you every step of the way.
Our Sustainable Freight Network is built on collaboration, if you’re interested in getting involved, or would like more information – get in touch today!