These days, there is a clear and growing demand for environmentally sound products and services. But as everyone seeks and shouts about sustainable solutions – are they ready to pay extra for that? Or is greenwashing the way to go?
Sustainability is more than just paper straws for us. At
Girteka Group
, we are willing to go the extra-mile and pay the check when it comes to reducing our CO2 emissions. We have already proven our efforts in this area and were awarded the EcoVadis Bronze Medal for our sustainable approach and solutions. Our goal is clear – to become a leader in sustainable logistics.
As Europe‘s largest asset-based refrigerated transport company, for us, reduction of emissions is one of the key strategic elements in terms of developing responsible logistics of the future. The company is making strides towards more clean and sustainable logistics by implementing concrete, although costly, solutions:
- Investing in our fleet – Girteka owns and constantly updates its park of over 9,000 state-of-the-art trucks, equipped with the latest innovative digital solutions, and with the average age of just 2 years old. Such trucks provide a tangible and noticeable change in the company’s CO2 emissions.
- Investing in our drivers’ skills – focusing on drivers’ behaviours on the road with various initiatives is just as crucial. One of these motivational initiatives for economical and environmentally friendly driving is Girteka’s EcoLeague – a competitive program for all the company’s drivers to practice the most eco-driving skills. With our scale, it plays a significant role on our emissions.
- Investing in digitally sustainable solutions – managing such a large fleet of trucks needs automated and sophisticated digital solutions that allow monitoring and collecting all data. For instance, the AI planner is a digital tool that Girteka uses to plan the most optimal routes for cargo delivery. Among the data analysed, the most effective fuel usage is determined, allowing the company to reduce its emissions as well as letting customers check their carbon footprint.
- Investing in our intermodial network – Girteka carries our customers’ goods more sustainably by way of intermodial rail freight transport throughout Europe. Without the need to re-load the cargo switching between the road and rail, carrying goods by the way of intermodial rail transport allows the lane to save as much as 90% of CO2 emissions.
- Investing in alternative fuels – Girteka is constantly looking for alternative fuel possibilities, such as hydrogen, and is already filling up its trucks with much more costly, but also significantly cleaner, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel. In addition, we are also exploring the capabilities of electric trucks, and continuously participating in discussions with truck makers to find the silver bullet solution to cut trucks’ emissions.
These are just several examples of how we at Girteka are exploring ways to reduce our emissions right here and right now. And the possibilities do not end here. Girteka is already part of the European Clean Trucking Alliance (ECTA) and has published the UN Global Compact Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, highlighting the company’s sustainability-oriented solutions, such as mentioned previously. Going further, the European Green Deal will help define the sustainability process for upcoming years and help secure independence from fossil fuels.
