RIT 2009 Symposium Workshop Summary: The Role of the EM in Greening Transportation
May 20, 2009 by Brian Butler , and admin | Filed under: The EM Role in Greening Transportation
Key Discussion Points:
o Discussed importance of knowing environmental footprint of the entire supply chain; however, there are many unknowns.
o Important tradeoffs exist: transportation service performance and economics v. environmental impacts.
o Methods and approaches identified for evaluation:
1. Third Party Contracting
2. Purchasing Decisions
3. Logistics Decisions
4. New Technologies
5. Use of Carbon Offsets if No Improvement Possible
o What gets done is largely a function of the characteristics of the firm.
o Key to success is matching the green supply chain options to production, distribution, and market realities
o Discussed role of
1. Corporation (large/small) and influence on steering third party “contracted” decisions (technology or mode of transport).
2. Government (Regulations- Tier II, III, IV requirements, etc.)
3. Individuals (Ex: Use of public transport, awareness of “green” transportation)
o Strategies for the Environmental Manager
1. Corporate leadership is important (high level support)
2. Research and develop options for purchasing, supply contracts, and technology.
3. Cross-training important – environmental manager needs to understand decision making process of other internal departments and vice versa.
4. Leverage tools to determine “greenest” mode of transportation versus transportation time and cost.