Transport companies can gain competitive advantage by adding sustainable solutions and capabilities to their services as volume returns to the market, says Erik Van Baaren, senior transport industry analyst at independent business analyst, Datamonitor.

 Erik Van Baaren comments: “With end consumers demanding more and more sustainable products, retailers will be seeking to achieve better environmental standards across the supply chain. 

 “However, our latest report* estimates that carbon emissions from the transport sector will increase by over 12% in the next five years compared to 2008 levels, even after the huge volume losses sustained last year. Organisations will therefore have to find innovative solutions to stay competitive

 “Collaborations between retailers, manufacturers and logistics service providers through combining resources and co-sharing can help to achieve efficiencies in the supply chain and reduce the overall environmental impact of the transport industry. However, assuming that a return to growth in freight and parcel volumes will occur in the next five years, efficiencies will have to be realised through either shifting cargo to more environmentally friendly means, or by reducing the intensity of vehicles within respective modes of transport.