SWA publishes research on decarbonisation in food and drink wholesale

The Scottish Wholesale Association has published the findings of the first phase of its ground-breaking ‘Decarbonisation of the Wholesale Industry’ project.

Focusing on emissions from the vehicles and fleets used within the critical food and drink wholesale industry in Scotland, the report includes the sector’s fleet emissions baseline as well as a fleet emissions roadmap to net zero.

Phase two of the project will focus on wholesalers’ buildings and cold storage with phase three then concentrating on how people/employees move around to, from and within their jobs.

“This project is one of the most detailed undertaken by any sector involved in logistics and haulage, and is based on real data and evidence, compiled direct from our members,” said Colin Smith, SWA chief executive.

Key findings include:

• The Scottish wholesale industry fleet operates a total of 2,198 vehicles.
• Its baseline vehicle carbon emissions equate to 111k tonnes of CO2 per annum.
• 75 per cent of the sector’s total fleet emissions are from HGVs.
• HGVs account for 48 per cent of the total fleet and represent more than three per cent of all the HGVs registered in Scotland.
• There are currently no commercially viable zero-emission HGVs available in the UK.
• Hydrogen-powered vehicles would appear to be the only commercially viable option for HGVs but adoption is many years away.
• The prohibitive cost of vehicles/adaptation, and lack of fuelling infrastructure, is preventing wholesalers transitioning to hydrogen.
• Vans account for 16 per cent of the total fleet and contribute to 17 per cent of total fleet emissions.
• 46 per cent of vans are refrigerated but there are currently no commercially viable electrically refrigerated vans available.

“These newly-available figures shine a spotlight on the barriers and challenges facing food and drink wholesalers – the ‘wheels to the food and drink industry’ – as they seek ways to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Smith. “The will is there but our members need more support from the Scottish Government to get there.

“We need the Scottish Government is to provide financial support for wholesalers to implement, a wholesale industry-wide driver efficiency training programme to reduce emissions. Some of our members are already using tools to help reduce emissions through driver efficiencies but we need more financial support to enable more wholesalers, particularly smaller ones who have suffered so much over the past 18 months, to join us on this important journey.”