Over the next few decades European companies will come under intense pressure to cut their greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions in an effort to achieve very ambitious carbon reduction targets at national, EU and global levels by
2050. This paper presents a framework for the decarbonisation of their logistical activities based on five key freight transport
parameters: freight transport intensity, modal split, vehicle utilization, energy efficiency and the carbon intensity of the
energy used in logistics. It examines the potential to cut GHG emissions by altering each of these parameters.
Consideration is also given to the decarbonisation of warehousing operations. It is concluded that many of the GHGreduction
measures will also yield financial benefit.