- Which decarbonisation solutions are applicable to urban distribution of goods?
- Hydrogen, an essential driver in the energy transition of urban distribution?
- What is the status of public-private partnerships in decarbonisation projects in urban distribution of goods?
The introduction of more efficient and less polluting vehicles, as well as distribution centres that operate with lower energy consumption, are enabling achievements to be made in a sector where emission reductions were traditionally considered difficult to materialise.
In this sense, Logistop has organised the Webinar “Decarbonisation in Urban Distribution of Goods Urban distribution of goods” in which we have deepened in the possibilities of energy transition that this sector offers us, as well as knowing the available or soon available aids linked to decarbonisation projects of the Urban Distribution of goods. Daniel Latorre, leader of the Urban Logistics Working Group of Logistop and development director of Citylogin Iberia, Juan Carlos de Pablo, leader of the Decarbonisation Working Group and partner of Ecoinversol, María Prieto, leader of the Public Funding Working Group of Logistop and partner of Inncome, and the moderation of Tomás de la Vega, managing director of Logistop, took part in the event.
Firstly, Daniel Latorre analyses the current panorama of urban goods distribution and the challenges that urban goods distribution faces in order to achieve a higher rate of sustainability, one of the main challenges being situations in which demand peaks increase substantially.
Latorre highlighted “the lack of existing knowledge and the lack of standardisation” as two of the main challenges we face in terms of decarbonisation, as well as “the need to have the greatest possible knowledge of the different actors working within the urban goods distribution ecosystem, in order to be able to create collaborative projects that allow the collection and sharing of data with the aim of improving the operations that take place in the urban goods distribution environment”.
In his turn, Juan Carlos de Pablo made an explanatory analysis of hydrogen as an essential vector in the energy transition of urban distribution of goods. De Pablo stressed the importance of making the incorporation of hydrogen in urban distribution of goods compatible with the medium-long term economic balance, given that, at present, and due to the production characteristics of this type of vehicle, it is very costly. However, as he commented, “the potential for reducing the cost of hydrogen vehicle production and vehicles is great”. To this end, access to new projects and concessions from public entities is crucial.
In this respect, María Prieto, presents the public funding opportunities that are available (or will be available soon) and that present a great opportunity for investment in innovation projects.
Prieto highlights that, in relation to the decarbonisation of the last mile, this “is a central problem, which means that funding will be available from the different public administrations”. All of this together with the need for “public administrations not only to support with funding, but also to overcome the regulatory barriers that may exist”, he concludes.
Finally, the three panellists highlighted the importance of the creation of collaborative consortia to opt for these channels of public funding; an area in which Logistop continues to work to bring together and involve all the members and actors of the value chain through the development of collaborative projects that combine the interests and needs of the entities involved.