Environmental Statement of IFS
Introduction
International Freight Solutions Ltd have produced this statement to illustrate that we are concerned about the impact that people and business have on our environment.
Although IFS is a relatively small organisation (less than x10 direct employees) we do not wish to shirk from our ethical and environmental responsibilities. As a Freight Forwarder we do actually take responsibility for reducing our own carbon footprint, by following environmentally friendly policies and striving to use global suppliers that have their own robust environmental policies.
Below are some examples of how we play our part in reducing our carbon footprint and also promote good green practices:
Energy Saving Policies at our Premises
- Our office air conditioning is set on a timer, meaning it’s not on 24/7
- Although International Freight Solutions strive to be a paperless-office, staff are encouraged to print on both sides of the paper when paper is required
- We have a PC power off policy – all office computers must be switched off at the end of the day
- We use low energy LED lightbulbs to light up our offices and communal areas
- Home-working is encouraged when possible which helps to reduce road-miles as well as helping vehicles/parts to last longer
Freight-forwarding Operations
Within the freight sector there are growing efforts to offer sustainable supply chain solutions, that address the C02 reduction commitment for all modes of transport worldwide.
One of the key objectives is to achieve CO2 neutrality and provide environmental friendly solutions to customers like ourselves. With each milestone, the sector comes closer to the biggest sustainability goal to date: Achieving carbon neutrality by the end of 2030.
Examples of this can be seen with, one of our biggest partners, Kuehne+Nagel, who are pioneering transformative technologies for clean energy transport in long-haul road, maritime and aviation which are still in the making. Today, we can offer options to our customers who want to start to decarbonise their transport with the use of low-carbon sustainable fuels. By providing alternative transport modes, routes and carrier options, customers have more options in avoiding and reducing their emissions.
Carbon offsetting is a recognised mechanism that counterbalances CO2 emissions by investing into nature-based projects that take CO2 out of the atmosphere. IFS has partnered through third parties with verified, nature-based projects that protect and renew our planet with rigorous offsetting initiatives.
Offsetting initiatives through third parties at a glance:
Preventing forest clearance- Restoring degraded land
- Renewable resources for electricity grids
- Replacing fossil fuel power plants.
Did you know?
The internet industry emissions are currently level with aviation traffic emissions. However, consumption at data centres is expected to double by 2025, producing more emissions than air transport!
Marketing & Media
– Use of Green Hosting for our websites. The use of the internet alone causes emission of approximately 2,330,041 tons of CO2 and consumes 2,339,400 MWh of electricity everyday. Every single internet search consumes about 0.3 Wh of energy and contributes to the release of 0.2g of CO2 in the environment.
Our websites are hosted on global green servers which run on renewable energy; they counterbalance the CO2 generated by the devices that browse the world wide web. This is cleverly done by tracking the website usage and then sending the statistics to a server. When the CO2 consumption reaches a certain threshold, more trees are planted to offset this.
Source: GreneIT
– Promotion of our freight partners’ sustainable projects. As part of our company News Blog, IFS regularly create bitesize articles/features to help promote sustainability. We share innovative ways in which our Freight Industry is changing the way it procures energy with an aim to become carbon neutral.
Such examples are: Electric Trucks, Trains, Aero planes and Ships using Bio Fuel. Please do visit our Rail Freight Services page for further information:
Did you know?
A freight train consumes as little as a third of the energy required by a truck and saves more than 80% of the carbon dioxide emissions.
Conclusion
When it comes to Sustainability and Environmental policy, International Freight Solutions Ltd does not have all the answers. We also do not wish to either pretend or make unfounded statements proclaiming that we are the greenest organisation in the freight forwarding industry.
However, we do:
- Aim to carry out our business in a way that does not negatively impact the environment
- IFS will continue to champion environmental reform to our suppliers, customers and competitors
- We will also endeavour to follow Government Guidelines and keep abreast of changing technologies and good practice when managing freight for our customers.
