At Lune, we believe that every shipment is an opportunity to drive meaningful climate action. That’s why we’re closely following the UK’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP); a framework that carves out the UK’s pathway to net zero transport and the principles that support this. As the UK moves towards net zero, logistics platforms are uniquely positioned to play a pivotal role in making this vision a reality.

What is the Transport Decarbonisation Plan?

Published by the Department for Transport in 2021, the Transport Decarbonisation Plan is the UK government’s strategy for reducing emissions across the entire transport system, including cars, vans, trains, ships, and aeroplanes. The primary aim of this plan is to deliver a net zero transport network by 2050, in line with the UK’s legally binding climate targets.

The plan outlines a wide range of initiatives: phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, supporting electric vehicle (EV) uptake, investing in cycling and public transport, and making delivery traffic low-carbon. Crucially, it also emphasises the importance of innovation, data, and digital infrastructure in achieving these goals.

In short, this plan isn’t just about upgrading, reducing, or replacing vehicles - it’s about rethinking how we move people and goods altogether with a sustainable focus. Logistics platforms have an excellent opportunity to enable this transformation.

Why logistics matters in the climate equation

In a 2023 government report, transport accounted for 26% of the UK’s total emissions. This makes transport the highest emitting sector in the UK. Road freight, aviation, and shipping are all essential to how we live and do business. However, they are also carbon-intensive, especially in long-haul logistics. As logistics has been identified as an ‘unstoppable force for economic growth’ by the Minister for the Future of Roads, the TDP rightly highlights freight and logistics as a high-impact area for intervention.

Technology and digitalisation will be critical to make this green logistics shift happen. This is where logistics platforms come in. They are poised to facilitate the visibility, intelligence, and automation required to decarbonise operations at scale. How can they do this?

Enabling measurement as a first step

Historically, emissions data has been fragmented, inaccurate, or buried in spreadsheets. However, we help logistics platforms provide real-time, granular carbon tracking across the supply chain – including Scope 3 emissions. 

At Lune, we integrate seamlessly into logistics platforms, embedding automated carbon calculations from spend and activity data into every transaction. This gives operators and their customers an accurate picture of their footprint and is the critical first step in any decarbonisation journey.

Turning insights into action

Data isn’t just for reporting. Logistics platforms enable decision-making that reduces emissions from the ground up. 

For example, using real-time emissions data, a logistics operator will be able to see their emissions hotspots and can choose to move goods by different mediums, or consolidate deliveries into fewer, fuller loads.

With Lune, these insights are compiled into accessible dashboards and audit-ready reports, so no decision-maker is left guessing about the organisations’ environmental impact.

Accelerating the shift with offsetting and carbon removal

While reduction is the priority, we must also recognise that some transport emissions are currently unavoidable. Logistics platforms can help logistics businesses integrate seamless high-integrity offsetting and carbon removal.

For example, companies using Lune can automatically calculate and offset the emissions from every shipment, investing in fully-vetted carbon projects like reforestation and concrete mineralisation. 

The whole supply chain has a role to play in the UK TDP

The UK’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan is ambitious and necessary. Logistics platforms are not just part of the transport ecosystem; they are catalysts of change.

At Lune, we’re proud to work with forward-thinking logistics platforms, such as Forto and Greencarrier, that are making carbon tracking and reduction their priority – for the sake of the planet and their business continuity. 

Find out more about how to lead the logistics industry in the right direction for the planet here.