Green logistics

Green logistics is the holistic transformation of logistics strategies, structures, processes and systems in business and enterprise networks to create environmentally sound and resource-efficient logistics processes. The target system of "green" logistics pursued on a balance of economic and ecological efficiency, the creation of sustainable shareholder value.

The target system of "green" logistics " is differentiated from the purely environmentally sustainable objectives such that the classical target system of logistics for environmental and resource costs - including the is opportunity cost - extended and target relationships are valued at mid-and long-term time horizon.

Action for logistics

Companies are since a few years ago changed conditions. In addition to increasing diversity and dynamism environmental issues moved into the focus of the company and the company itself

The social, political and economic demand for a sustainable development means that companies need to rethink and implement sustainable approaches. There are strong interactions between logistics and the environment and natural resources. What's more: The approach of logistics is interdisciplinary, holistic and across companies.

This is the foundation the great potential of the logistics of this new problem and challenge.

Ecological concern

The " ecological concern" in logistics determines how much the logistics or supply chain of a company is faced with the issue of environmental protection and resource conservation. General rule is that a supply chain is affected in this context the impact of various factors. The main influencing factors are the stakeholders or stakeholder of a company and to the other the rising energy and commodity prices, which will in part be due to the global shortage of raw materials.

Among the most important stakeholders in this context

• The state with growing international and national regulations,
• Customers and consumers with increasing awareness and increasing demand for environmentally friendly products and ( logistics ) services.
• Closely related to a company's employees who want to work in an environmentally and socially responsible companies,
• Society with increasing demands for more corporate responsibility ( " CSR "). These demands occur mainly through NGOs or non-governmental companies as claim group in appearance.
• Finally, the companies themselves, who deal on its own motivation with the topic.

Increasingly, the pressure by lenders, investors, insurance companies and investors increases. One indication of this are, for example, new forms of investment in the capital market, such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, which respects the selection of business especially on economic, environmental and social criteria.

Due to the complex and varying relevance and maturity of these factors, the ecological concern of a company is seen as a product of many context-specific factors.

Action measures

In theory and in practice, the logistics has a whole range of measures to protect the environment and resources. Some are new, others already known. These measures can be classified into different levels - and by maturity, range, scope, and for capital and resource use.

According to the holistic approach of "green" logistics (see definition) may begin at five levels, logistics, provided that it implements measures in the field of environmental and resource protection:

• Customer, market and product (level 1)
• Structures and planning ( Level 2 )
• Processes control and measurement ( Level 3 )
• Technologies and resources ( Level 4 )
• Employees, suppliers and service providers

The first four levels form a hierarchy and influence each other sequentially. Decisions on a plane to define the scope for further decisions on the following levels. Because decisions at higher levels reduce the degrees of freedom at the following levels.

For example, the definition of Packaging dimensions of a product at the level of 1 defines the volume and weight of a product and hence the maximum number of products per carrier, for example, per container load. Thus, the influence on the decision level 1 the theoretical maximum capacity of a container, and hence the transport of an individual, which would be assigned to the level 3. The impact on the environment - as CO2 emissions per transported piece of the product - and are therefore strongly influenced by the decision on the packaging dimensions at the level 1 measures at level 2 and 3, such as route optimization probably also impact on CO2 emissions have, but have to operate with the Fixgrößen volume and weight, and are therefore of minor reach in terms of environmental protection and resource conservation.

Another example is the decision by a company for a central warehouse strategy in the distribution. This Decision constitutes a structural Fixgröße is at level 3 and largely determines the transport kilometers within the logistics network that have a significant impact on the amount of fuel needed for this supplier. Of course it can fuel its overall costs are reduced through optimization measures at the following levels, such as through the use of route planning software and fleet management systems, and the use of alternative fuels. But the decision with the larger bearing and range was already at the level 2

This logic can assert the following: environmental and resource protection measures at the level of products, structures, and planning partners expect theoretically higher efficiency potential.

Costs and benefits

Measures in the field of green logistics, reduce emissions, often have costs that are related to a saved tonne of CO2 equivalent, well above the market price for emission rights in recent years. This is true for example for the shift back of value-adding activities in high-wage countries and the partial shift from road transport to rail. Some logistical measures to reduce emissions are also associated with cost savings and thus meet both the ecological and the economic demands on logistics measures. These include, for example, the reduction of delivery days in the trade and the extension of Anlieferzeitfenstern in the distribution.