The UK’s second largest ports operator, Peel Ports, has today (Wednesday, 29 April) launched a major carbon emission initiative, Cargo200, and is calling on the UK freight and logistics industry to rethink supply chain and services routes in order to reduce freight mileage by 200 million miles over the next five years.
 
Announcing plans at Multimodal 2015 in Birmingham, the company outlined opportunities for cargo owners, importers and exporters to cut the cost of inland transportation by switching current delivery of ocean freight from south-east ports to the centrally located Port of Liverpool, if their goods start or end their journey in the north of the UK. According to Peel Ports’ calculations, cargo owners can save up to £400 per container by altering supply chain routes.
 
The company aims to recruit up to 200 cargo owners, importers and exporters to support the campaign.  
 
Peel Ports’ Group Commercial Director, Patrick Walters said: 'This initiative is about efficiency and sustainability.  We have looked at the geographical demand for goods in the UK, comparing the point of entry of those goods into the country with the end destination and calculating the carbon emissions and potential savings.
 
'The reality is that 50% of demand for all UK cargo comes from the northern half of the UK, including Scotland and Ireland - not really surprising as 35 million people, including many in Ireland, live within 240km (150 miles) of Liverpool.
 
'The Port of Liverpool is strategically important as the most centrally located port in the UK. Yet only 8% of goods arrive in the UK through this route. That means the majority of cargo destined for the north currently has to be transported via road or rail, incurring hundreds of additional miles, burning fuel, creating road congestion and adding to carbon emissions and costs.
 
'With the opening of Liverpool2 planned for December, there is a viable and cost effective alternative which we are urging cargo owners and logistics operators to consider.
 
'Investments in transport infrastructure, road, rail and canals are already supporting the accelerated growth of businesses in the north, but taking advantage of these opportunities means making a conscious shift in today’s supply chains and services. That shift is primarily to bring cargo closer to markets, thereby cutting the costs, carbon emissions and congestion resulting from inland transportation.
 
'From our modelling, based on the journeys currently undertaken by these cargoes, it has been possible to project that at least 200 million road miles could  be saved over the next five years. We are calling on cargo owners and operators to ‘act green’ and support this very important initiative.'
 
Peel Ports already has garnered initial support from a number of household-name brands, including Typhoo and B&M. The company will work with these and other Cargo200 partners to share data and carry out further modelling to support the development of the initiative.