The Logistics Emissions Reduction Scheme (LERS) has announced its support of the Government’s ambition to achieve a 15% reduction in carbon emissions from HGVs by 2025.
The voluntary target for logistics operators has been included in the Government’s new Road to Zero strategy.
LERS, spearheaded by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and sponsored by Bridgestone, will provide support to industry members to adopt this target and will also assist in developing strategies to achieve lower carbon emissions.
The target is now included within LERS in addition to the scheme’s existing aim for its members to achieve a 5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
Rebecca Kite, Environment Policy Manager at FTA and Manager of LERS, said: “We’re pleased to be able to align with the Government’s ambition to reduce carbon emissions derived from HGVs. While it’s a challenging target, our members are dedicated to protecting the environment and will continue to lead the way in emission reduction. This year has been an exciting time for LERS – particularly with our relaunch – and we are thrilled to once again be at the forefront of environmental innovation.”
LERS has collected fuel usage and business activity data from its members to establish a carbon footprint for the scheme. It is said to have successfully demonstrated the industry’s ability to improve emissions independently without further government regulation for the past eight years.
Between 2010 and 2015, the scheme is reported as having achieved a 7% reduction in carbon emissions from road transport. Scheme members’ emissions, and fuel costs, are said to be 13% lower per vehicle km than the average for the whole logistics industry.
Membership is open to all companies with at least one commercial vehicle (HGV or van). To find out more visit http://lers.org.uk.
