Interview with Globalia Warsaw and Gdynia

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“We carry a green ambition: Sustainability means providing what is needed for our planet to continue to exist. We have to take responsibility for ourselves and each other, our business and society – and perhaps above all – the environment.”

 

Today we are publishing an interview with Ms Patrycja Musiał, Key Account Manager of Greencarrier Freight Services Poland. In this interview Ms. Musial talks about the need for sustainable logistics and how her company has been working towards the goal of a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.

Globalia Warsaw/Gdynia- independent freight forwarder
Patrycja Musiał, Key Account Manager of  Globalia Warsaw/Gdynia- independent freight forwarder

Q. What is the environmental impact of logistics?

A. The transportation sector is responsible for 14% of all energy-related CO2 emissions globally and this has more than doubled since the 70’s. In the EU the transportation sector generated 25% of all transportation CO2 emissions. Without actions and measures, this could increase faster than in any other sector. The message is clear from both European Union and elsewhere – we need to become more efficient and make a shift in technology to enable all of us to reach the goals of a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.

Q. Why should freight forwarding companies be thinking about creating more sustainable supply chain operations?

A. Scientific evidences are clear, mankind is affecting the climate, we all need to rethink how we plan our logistics. We can build solutions on various lead times and services based on green transport solution. We should focus on short sea, consolidation, rail, intermodal, biofuels, and direct flight. Sustainability is a high topic on the agenda in most industries today. The transport and logistics sector is no exception. It is everyone’s responsibility and opportunity to secure the future of business and society.

Q. Your name is Greencarrier. I guess that since your foundation, you have been worried about sustainability. How did you come up with this idea?

A. The Greencarrier Group was founded in 2000 by Stefan Björk and Björn Eklund. Right from the start, they had a clear vision of their future business – a freight forwarding company built on commitment, involvement, humour, and joy. And it turned out very much as planned. Our knowledgeable and skilled staff are the building block for today’s successful company, offering our customers sustainable logistics solutions served from the heart.

Q. What does sustainability mean for Greencarrier?

A. We carry a green ambition. Sustainability means providing what is needed for our planet to continue to exist. Freight forwarding companies have to take responsibility for ourselves and each other, our business and society – and perhaps above all – the environment.

Q. What is Greencarrier doing regarding sustainability?

A. The Greencarrier Spirit – this is our view on sustainability. The Greencarrier Spirit influences everything we do – every day – with the aim to take responsibility and act in a sustainable way in the long-term. At the very centre of the Greencarrier Spirit are our core values. They define who we are and what we stand for. What incorporates our spirit is how we do business, how we treat our employees, how we see ourselves as corporate citizens, and how we contribute to environmental protection.

Q. Which has been your most important shipment in sustainability?

A. One of the most important shipments we have arranged is the intermodal transport for Scandanavian fashion retailer Varner. We used a combination of road, sea and rail freight. We loaded the trailers with the products at Istanbul, from where it was taken to a nearby port. Next, we put the trailers on a ship and sent them to Trieste, Italy. There, the cargo was unloaded and moved to railway wagons and transported to Kiel, Germany. From there, we made use of ferry carriers to move the trailers to Gothenburg, Sweden. Lastly, from Gothenburg we used road transport to carry the cargo to its final destination in the Varner central warehouse. Members can check out the details of this sustainable transport on our blog.

Q. Which are your projects for 2021 on sustainability?

A. In 2021 we would like to reduce the total CO2 equivalent per TONKM by 15% compared to 2018 and in 2025 reduce the total CO2 equivalent per TOMKM by 30% compared to 2018.

Q. Which are the challenges of meeting the sustainability objectives for Greencarrier?

A. We strive to make sustainable choices easily accessible to our customers. Our Green Solutions are options where you can reduce a lot of CO2-emissions compared to the more traditional choices. We offer short sea, consolidation, rail, intermodal, biofuels, direct flight etc. The biggest challenge in these solutions is still the price and time. I would like to stress that many sustainable solutions are actually cost-saving.

Q.How has Greencarrier improved its transportation and logistics supply chain efficiency while taking care of the environment?

A. Greencarrier Freight Services provides transport solutions with all modes of transport all over the world. We take environmental actions which include developing our Green Solutions and using optimization of goods flow to reach higher load factors, shorter lead times, and lower CO2 emissions.

‘We strive to make sustainable choices easily accessible to our customers. Our Green Solutions are options where you can reduce a lot of CO2-emissions compared to the more traditional choices.”

                                 

Q. In your opinion, how freight forwarding companies can find a balance between financial growth, environmental care, and the health of society?

A. Our ambition is to provide the best service for each customer and at the same time be able to support and guide them through different options to optimize their supply chain- both from a financial and an environmental perspective. Green is lean, but you have to look at the whole supply chain in order to make the correct choices most suitable for your business. We have products and services developed to be more sustainable than traditional alternatives and these solutions are increasingly growing and changing the logistic world.

Q. Which mode of transport do you think is the most environment friendly?

A. We firmly believe that rail transport is the most effective and sustainable mode of moving freight across long distances. It is much more environment friendly when compared to air freight. We have recently launched a rail shuttle service between China, Europe and the UK. Companies importing goods from China need to consider switching to rail freight which is quick, sustainable as well as cost-effective. I invite members to read the interview on our blog where we have talked about the importance of using rail freight solutions for increased sustainability.

Q. What is the future of sustainability for freight forwarding companies?

A. To achieve sustainable transportation, we all have to:

– Optimize: Avoid unnecessary transportation, which includes increased load factors, using appropriate transport modes at each part of the supply chain and improve further logistics planning.

-Modal shifts: Transportation modes with greater environmental impact should be changed to more environmentally smart modes and new transportation combinations should be developed.

-Improve: We should improve and develop transportation technology through innovations such as more efficient fuels and modes of transport.

Globalia members with shipments to/from Warsaw/Gdynia, Poland, are invited to get in touch with their professional team.