The work of port managers is increasingly influenced by the activities through the entire logistics chain.

The logistics chain working group which was active during 2004 and 2005. It’s main objective was the exchange of Environmental solutions of parties in the port area, in logistical centres and in transport companies in the logistic chain.

The tools and instruments of the ECO-information and ECOPORTS projects are to be developed further to support this objective going forward. This was also a key part of the discussion during the Logistics Chain workshop at the EcoPorts conference in Genoa in December 2006 (link to presentation).

Description of work

Specific issues in the logistic chain were tackled in the working group. Ports, railway stations airports and other terminals are important for a sustainable logistic chain. But when regarding environmental impact the role of the transport process itself - and its implications - is as least as important. At the start of ECOPORTS project there was already interest from Deutsche Bahn (DE), Corus (NL/UK), Schiphol Airport (NL) and Port of Brussels (inland ports). Through the ECOPORTS network, the group was extended with companies like e.g. IKEA (SE), Nokia (FI), Hewlett Packard (NL), Port of Duisburg (DE), Shell (NL), BASF (DE), coal fired power plants in Poland, fresh fish distributors in Southern Europe, etc. One of the research partners in the project investigated the possibilities of exchanging information on environmental issues, introducing the ECOPORTS approach in these sectors and realising further co-operation.

The role of these companies was to give an insight in the topics handled and solutions developed in the field and environment (and safety). Also the use of environmental indicators (e.g. responsible care programs) will be demonstrated and probably translated to be used in ports. The tasks of these members of the dedicated working group is the collect and disseminate information from their own background, partners and archives.

In dedicated working sessions and in separate study teams, the environmental issues in the logistic chain that obstruct or facilitate sustainable transport were investigated. Best practices were gathered and analysed on its use for the port & environment network members. It investigated what the state-of-the-art in environmental transport is (realised solutions) and what the leaders do (benchmark). The tasks aimed at delivering environmental insight for the transport process itself, illuminating a whole transport chain and revealing which part of the environmental impact results from sea shipping, the transhipment in the port, the railway transport or the lorry. The information was be stored in the solutions database.

If you have an example of a good practice solution in this area that you would like to share, please contact the EcoPorts Foundation Secretariat (foundation@ecoports.com).

>click here to learn more about Logistic Chain related solutions