June 2010’s winner of the month: SCA

As of 1st August 2010, SCA Consumer Benelux will be the first supplier to have achieved carbon neutral distribution. The producer of Dreft, Libresse, Libero, Tena, Edet, Tempo and Plenty has entered into a partnership with a select group of carriers under the name ‘Green Care Transport’.

“Our primary goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of our transportation using ‘reduction targets’ – a defined action plan for transport companies combined with investments in sustainable energy projects,” comments Riny Strik, regional director Business Logistics at SCA and brain behind the concept. SCA hopes that more carriers, suppliers and retailers will take part in the ‘Green Care Transport’ programme and has put together a road map explaining all of the steps that are involved in joining the initiative.

Defined action plan

SCA has formulated CO2 targets and a concrete action plan. SCA and its carriers are going to use their existing CO2 registration to follow up the scheduled activities. These will include, for example, more economical motorcycles, improved aerodynamics and driving courses to reduce fuel consumption and therefore reduce their carbon footprint. The remaining emissions will be neutralised by working together with Climate Neutral Group to invest in sustainable energy projects (according to Gold Standard), such as wind farms in Turkey and Taiwan, and realising one hundred per cent CO2 neutral transportation.

Time for the next step

Hero and SCA in Hazeldonk, the Netherlands, have already established a successful strategy, combining deliveries and realising a CO2 reduction of 90 per cent. “Now it’s time to take the next step,” comments Strik. This new initiative is in line with the SCA’s global corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. “We have been actively trying to reduce our carbon footprint and energy consumption since 2001 and have received various awards for our efforts.”

Climate and transport costs go hand in hand

Cooperation and transparency in the whole supply chain is what the group needs to reduce its carbon footprint as much as possible. This will have a positive effect on the climate as well as reducing transport costs (e.g. by optimising loads and limiting the number of empty trucks on the road). Cooperation in this case means that SCA (and other participants) will use only this pool of sustainable carriers for distributing their goods.