According to Luxembourg's Cluster for Logistics, more than 500 companies have voluntarily engaged to reduce their CO2 emissions across Europe since 2008; the LEAN and GREEN labelled sustainable logistics community has grown to 11 in Luxembourg

Thirteen companies for the 2017 edition including three companies based in Luxembourg received the LEAN and GREEN Label during the first Benelux congress organised in Brussels with support from the Benelux Secretariat on Tuesday 6 February 2018. More than 500 companies across Europe have won the label since its creation in 2008.

The programme is seen as part of the measures agreed during the Paris agreement, where almost 200 countries agreed to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) like CO2 and limit the global climate change to a maximum of 2 degrees, with a goal of maximum 1.5C. To achieve this, systemic changes are required, including the transport sector, that represents more than one fourth of the GHG emissions in Europe.

The Awards ceremony supported by the Benelux Secretariat in Brussels, brought together Connekt, the Cluster for Logistics (C4L), Logistics in Wallonia and VIL having participants being certified to encourage sustainable development. The awards have been handed by the Secretary of State for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Camille Gira, and François Bellot ,Federal Minister for Mobility and Transport in Belgium, in the presence of Nico Anten, head of the Dutch foundation Connekt.

The new companies from Luxembourg awarded were Luxport Group, Kronospan and Webtaxi for their action plans that will reduce their ecological footprint while saving costs.

For Secretary of State Gira, "the Lean and Green Label will play an increasingly important role in helping to meet COP 21 Paris goals of reduced CO2 emissions through 2030. Over the lifetime of the LEAN and GREEN programme the CO2 savings by all 11 companies are an important contribution to the Government’s ambitious CO2 emission goals. Next to energy production for households, transport is a major contributor to CO2 emissions in today’s world of transport. This program developed with the support of the Ministry for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure supports future orientated businesses in transport and logistics to combine ecological behaviour and economic use of energy in a very competitive business environment.”

“The Cluster for Logistics Luxembourg (C4L) has invited all labelled and to-be-labelled companies to join a unique collaboration and networking event in Brussels at the Benelux Secretariat” said Cluster Manager Malik Zeniti. “This will encourage collaboration, sharing of best practices between companies throughout the Benelux and improve their cost position, while reducing their ecological footprint through new innovative technologies, alternative fuels and intermodal solutions tested elsewhere.”

Based upon the action plans that the companies elaborated and which have been subject of an independent audit in 2017, the three new award winners have 5 years after the selected reference year to achieve their ambitious goals and win the LEAN and GREEN STAR. During the ceremony, Luxport Group, Kronospan and Webtaxi received their award and other companies that achieved their goal will obtain the highly appreciated LEAN and GREEN STAR.

The sustainable logistics LEAN and GREEN community is now almost a dozen companies strong in Luxembourg with Luxport Group, Kronospan and Webtaxi joining the previous eight companies Arthur Welter, Cargolux, CFL Multimodal, GN Transport, Luxair Cargo, Offergeld, Post and Transalliance.

Collaborate with LEAN & GREEN Offroad

Dutch public-private network Connekt took the opportunity to unveil a new programme, the LEAN and GREEN OFFROAD, dedicated to developing common multi-modal corridors across Europe taking traffic from the road to more sustainable modes of transport like rail and inland navigation. Programme ambassadors like CHEP, AB Inbev, HP, Heineken and Unilever that launched the programme are dedicated to cross-border collaboration in Benelux and in Europe.

The LEAN and GREEN community launched by the Cluster for Logistics Luxembourg network, exchanges best-practice and the first accomplishments of companies having met their goal of 20% CO2 savings will be celebrated by a Lean and Green STAR in 2018 according to Mr Malik Zeniti, Cluster Manager.