The LEAN and GREEN community grows to 11 in Luxembourg
Thirteen companies for the 2017 edition including three companies based in Luxembourg received the LEAN and GREEN Label during the first Benelux congress organised in Brussels with support from the Benelux Secretariat on February 6th 2018. More than 500 companies across Europe have won the label since its creation in 2008.
The programme is seen as part of the measures agreed during the Paris agreement, where almost 200 countries agreed to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) like CO2 and limit the global climate change to a maximum of 2 degrees, with a goal of maximum 1.5 degrees C. To achieve this, systemic changes are required, including the transport sector, that represents more than one fourth of the GHG emissions in Europe.
The Award ceremony supported by the Benelux Secretariat in Brussels, brought together Connekt, the Cluster for Logistics (C4L), Logistics in Wallonia and VIL having participants being certified to encourage sustainable development. The awards have been handed by the Secretary of State for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure Mr. Camille Gira and Mr. François Bellot Federal Minister for Mobility and Transport in Belgium in presence of M. Nico Anten, head of the Dutch foundation Connekt.
Luxport Group, Kronospan and Webtaxi
The new companies from Luxembourg awarded were Luxport Group, Kronospan and Webtaxi for their action plans that will reduce their ecological footprint while saving costs.
For Mr. Gira, „the Lean and Green Label will play an increasingly important role in helping to meet COP 21 Paris goals of reduced CO2 emissions through 2030. Over the lifetime of the LEAN and GREEN program the CO2 savings by all 11 companies are an important contribution to the Government’s ambitious CO2 emission goals. Next to energy production for households, transport is a major contributor to CO2 emissions in today’s world of transport. This program developed with the support of the Ministry for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure supports future orientated businesses in transport and logistics to combine ecological behaviour and economic use of energy in a very competitive business environment.”
“The Cluster for Logistics Luxembourg (C4L) has invited all labelled and to be labelled companies to join a unique collaboration and networking event in Brussels at the Benelux Secretariat” said Cluster Manager M. Malik Zeniti. “This will encourage collaboration, sharing of best practices between companies throughout the Benelux and improve their cost position, while reducing their ecological footprint through new innovative technologies, alternative fuels and intermodal solutions tested elsewhere.”
Based upon the action plans that the companies elaborated and which have been subject of an independent audit in 2017, the three new award winners have 5 years after the selected reference year to achieve their ambitious goals and win the LEAN and GREEN STAR. During the ceremony, Luxport Group, Kronospan and Webtaxi received their award and other companies that achieved their goal will obtain the highly appreciated LEAN and GREEN STAR.
The sustainable logistics LEAN and GREEN community is now almost a dozen companies strong in Luxembourg with Luxport Group, Kronospan and Webtaxi joining the previous 8 companies Arthur Welter, Cargolux, CFL Multimodal, GN Transport, Luxair Cargo, Offergeld, Post and Transalliance.
Collaborate with LEAN & GREEN Offroad
Dutch public-private network Connekt took the opportunity to unveil a new program the LEAN and GREEN OFFROAD dedicated to developing common multi-modal corridors across Europe taking traffic from the road to more sustainable modes of transport like rail and inland navigation. Program ambassadors like CHEP, AB Inbev, HP, Heineken and Unilever that launched the programme are dedicated to cross-border collaboration in Benelux and in Europe.
The LEAN and GREEN community launched by the Cluster for Logistics Luxembourg network, exchanges best-practice and the first accomplishments of companies having met their goal of 20% CO2 savings will be celebrated by a Lean and Green STAR in 2018 according to Mr Malik Zeniti, Cluster Manager.
Background Information
Under the leadership of Minister for sustainable Development and Infrastructure François Bausch and State Secretary of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Camille Gira, the Cluster for Logistics launched the LEAN and GREEN label in Luxembourg in 2014 in order to promote a reduction in CO2 emissions in companies with logistics activities. The LEAN and GREEN label has been developed by the Dutch non-governmental organization Connekt and is one of the most successful in Europe in terms of image and recognition of the efforts for sustainable development, as 2.4 bn tons of freight enter via Benelux every year.
To obtain the Lean and Green Award, companies must present an ambitious CO2 reduction plan: logistics companies should be able to save at least 20% and airlines should reduce their emissions by 10% over five years and show commitment to the program. The ambitious goals in the plans presented have to be executed by the companies within maximum five years after being awarded. When the goal is achieved and the result audited, the participants will get the LEAN and GREEN Star. In Europe, the program has over 500 participants and more than a hundred stars have already been issued. The 3 winning companies will join Arthur Welter, Cargolux, CFL multimodal, GN Transport, LuxairCargo, Offergeld, POST and Transalliance - they have obtained their label in 2015 or 2016.
The three winners from Luxembourg:
Luxport Group is already a front-runner of the LEAN and GREEN programme with transport and logistics activities based along the Moselle river at the Mertert (L) port. Their plan foresees a CO2 reduction of 21% over five years. This performance is possible as
- Luxport is going to substitute 45.000 litres of diesel with green electricity each year, by installing a new portal crane at the Moselle port in Mertert, that will eliminate 110 tons of CO2 per anno.
- Modern telemetry, a cutting-edge truck fleet and continuous driver training helps to reduce road transport emissions in 5 years by 1’800 tons of CO2.
- A ROI of 3.5 years for modernizing the entire lighting in all warehouses and production halls underlines the economic profitability of energy efficiency measures.
“The objective to reduce fuel consumption, drives us to new ways of pushing the boundaries of this industry” said Mr Eric Odefey, managing director. “Our customers and logistics partners, major forwarders of this world, are well aware of the LEAN and GREEN program and appreciate our efforts”.
Kronospan is the first industry and shipper to join the Luxembourg programme with an action plan targeting reductions of CO2 emissions above 30%. They consider L&G as an additional support to their philosophy of reducing greenhouse gas – emissions as well as costs, by analysing and enhancing their activities and structuring the monitoring and continuous improvement process.
With 300 million Euro investments Kronospan pursues the ambitious target to reduce the CO2 footprint of its logistics activities by at least 20%
- By using reduction potential to avoid empty kilometres
- Through modal shift using combined Lorry-rail multimodal solutions
- By building sustainable logistics through collaborative networks across the entire supply chain
- Through an innovative combination of In- and Outbound
Webtaxi is the first company active in public transport or personal mobility rather than goods that joins the program in Luxembourg. Mr Cyrille Horper Head of Marcom with WEBTAXI’s mobility department presented the company plan which includes a 33% reduction over five years, by using three major actions:
- Fleet renewal
- Empty km reduction
- Introduction of electric vehicles
“From the environmental point of view, WEBTAXI took the lead in 2012 when we launched the first hybrid taxis in Luxembourg. In 2015, we fielded the first electric taxis, and as of right now we are replacing our fleet with an even more eco-friendly one”; said Mr. Horper.
