The magnitude of global decarbonization is not lost on anyone working in sustainability. A report by Systems Change Labs in late 2023 provided a sobering look at the decarbonization movement to date, highlighting both how far we’ve come and how much we have left to accomplish. For example, electric vehicle passenger car sales are on track for 2030 decarbonization targets, but coal needs to be phased out of electricity generation seven times faster than recent rates, according to the report.
Cross-sectoral collaboration is critical if we are to achieve system-level global decarbonization. The more companies cross-pollinate and industries share innovations and knowledge, the faster we will achieve our collective goals. Take Encirc, for example. If the glass container company is successful in producing the world’s first zero-carbon glass bottles, that innovation could help advance zero-carbon glass across the automotive industry.
Cross-industry collaboration is a central discussion theme at GreenBiz 24, including Share the Road: The Latest in Transport Decarbonization, a session I'm leading today. During this interactive conversation, I'll be joined by representatives from Alaska Airlines, BMW of North America and Uber Freight to discuss:
- How data is key to reducing transport logistics emissions
- Reducing airline emissions, corporate support on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other non-fuel emission reduction advancements
- Building a circular supply chain, manufacturing electric vehicles with more circularity in mind
The path to decarbonization
The session will also address three key themes critical to accelerating decarbonization:
- Instituting a culture of innovation and change
- What driving change and meaningful action really means
- The cascading impact and domino effect of decarbonization innovation in the transport sector
I asked each speaker what they think will be the key takeaway from the session. Here are their written responses:
Illina Frankiv, head of sustainability at Uber Freight:
"It’s impossible to fix what we don’t measure. With the right tools, logistics professionals can capture and leverage the data needed to develop sustainable, cost-efficient and timely transportation networks that help achieve company emission targets."
Denise Melville, head of sustainability at BMW of North America:
"While the shift towards electromobility is a crucial step on the road towards decarbonization, it's important that organizations across the transportation sector integrate the climate and CO2 targets into all aspects of a product's lifecycle. From the initial design process to manufacturing, from the supply chain to recycling, CO2
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