Logistics hubs: temperature management causes 41 percent of emissions
According to MIT, logistics emits 8 to 11 percent of global CO₂ emissions every year - and the trend is rising. In its GILA market study, the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics identified the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions in logistics locations. Temperature management leads with 41 percent, followed by lighting and intralogistics.
Logistics and the international movement of goods emit around 8 percent of global CO₂ emissions per year, 11 percent if ports and warehouses are included. This was determined by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from the Sustainable Supply Chains initiative. The trend is rising. High emissions are associated with increased costs for companies, which can be saved if resources are used efficiently.
Transparency about your own resource consumption
In its annual GILA market study, the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML has surveyed the greenhouse gas emissions of logistics locations worldwide. The GILA market study has been conducted since 2019 and is the result of the «German, Italian & Latin American consortium for resource efficient logistics hubs & transport» (GILA) research project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The market studies will be continued by Fraunhofer IML with the GILA partners Politecnico di Milano and Greenrouter.
The aim is to better understand the environmental performance of logistics locations, close data gaps and derive recommendations for action. However, the information also helps the individual locations, explains Dr. Kerstin Dobers, author of the study: «Transparency regarding one's own resource consumption and the associated GHG emissions is an important step in understanding and improving individual performance, both in terms of energy efficiency and emissions intensity.»
Temperature management as the biggest emission factor
Logistics locations are very diverse because the requirements of the goods are highly varied. At 41 percent, temperature management is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions in logistics properties. This area includes, for example, the cooling or heating of storage areas, depending on the requirements of the goods. In second place is the lighting of logistics areas, which causes 18 percent of average emissions. Another significant source is intralogistics with around 16 percent, which includes conveyor technology, forklift trucks and automated warehouse technology.
Almost 1000 logistics locations worldwide are now taking part in the market study. The study primarily examines energy efficiency, annual greenhouse gas emissions, the emissions intensity of individual locations and the average performance of various logistics hub categories.
Six central fields of action
The researchers have developed six key fields of action to further advance the decarbonization of logistics hubs. These include intralogistics and automation, operational processes and sustainable buildings and outdoor areas. Selected case studies from the industry on energy-efficient lighting systems, smart monitoring systems, photovoltaic systems for self-generation of electricity and heat pumps are used to present realized emission saving potentials.
Which recommendations for action are effective at each location is individual. In order to determine this in a targeted manner, companies need to increase their transparency: «This year's market study has once again shown that the majority of locations are unable to provide detailed information about what they use their electricity for. However, this is important information for identifying relevant efficiency measures and deciding on investments,» says Dobers.
More information: www.iml.fraunhofer.de
