New Study to Provide Roadmap for Sustainable Freight Transportation

(CEC via Environmental Expert)

The Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has embarked on a new study to evaluate opportunities for making freight transportation more sustainable in North America.

The transportation sector contributes about 26% of total greenhouse gas emissions in North America. At least a quarter of that share is related to transporting freight. Billions of tons of goods are moved every year in complex industrial and commercial supply chains that span the continent. Two-thirds of these goods are moved by truck and most of the rest by rail, giving the freight sector a significant environmental footprint.

“Although freight transportation doesn’t receive as much attention as cars and public transportation, it represents, along with building-related energy improvements, one of North America’s biggest opportunities for environmental progress,” according to Evan Lloyd, CEC’s Acting Executive Director. “While people often associate NAFTA freight with border issues, this study will take a more systemic perspective, identifying broader regional action to support sustainable freight transportation throughout the region.”

To assist the Secretariat in producing the Sustainable Freight Transportation in North America report, an advisory group of representatives from transportation industries, nongovernmental organizations, and government agencies will evaluate scenarios for improving the environmental performance of freight transportation by 2030 and recommend policy pathways to achieve those goals. Lloyd Axworthy, President and Vice Chancellor at the University of Winnipeg and a former Canadian Minister of Transportation will chair the advisory group. Read more here.