More emphasis on climate goals in logistics sector

13 August 2021

Logistics firms turning to alternative drives, Chamber of Commerce survey finds, amid gradual recovery in sector

Logistics companies in Hamburg are relying more on alternative drive systems for lorries, ships and railways to achieve climate targets, according to the Chamber of Commerce Hamburg's latest survey. By 2030, greenhouse gases in Germany are to be slashed by 65 per cent below levels in 1990. And Germany is aiming for climate-neutrality by 2045. A third of logistics companies already use purely electric drives or plan to do so in future. Some of the companies surveyed also see hydrogen-based drives (21 per cent), synthetic fuels (16 per cent) and biofuels (12 per cent) as alternatives.

Climate targets require investment

One in six respondents had not yet planned any concrete climate protection measures - mostly due to a lack of supply infrastructure or high acquisition costs. "The new national and European climate targets mean in some cases enormous investments for logistics companies," said Willem van der Schalk, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce. Axel Plaß, Chairman of the Hamburg Freight Forwarders Association, added: "We need reliable political framework conditions and a technology-open approach to give companies investment and planning security and to promote climate-friendly drive concepts across all modes of transport."

Logistics sector on road to recovery

The economic situation of Hamburg's logistics companies has eased generally compared to the previous year, according to the Chamber of Commerce. Around four out of ten companies said they are in a good economic situation compared to only one out of 25 in 2020. The pandemic, supply chain problems and the rising costs of energy and raw materials are still the main risks. Around half of the companies surveyed expect prices for logistics services to increase in future.
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Sources and further information

Hamburg Chamber of Commerce "Logistics Barometer"

The Hamburg Logistics Barometer is conducted annually for the second quarter by th Chamber of Commerce, Logistik-Initiative Hamburg e. V., Verband Hamburger und Bremer Schiffsmakler e. V., Verband Straßengüterverkehr und Logistik Hamburg e. V. and Verein Hamburger Spediteure e. V. and gives anoverview of the latest developments in the industry.