A sustainable transportation system
Company
ESVAMA is an independent supplier of plastic granules that imports and sells approximately 8.5 thousand tons of plastic granules annually. Their largest product types are polyethylene which is commonly found in e.g. bags, kitchen utensils and toys and polypropylene which is a common material in food packaging. According to ESVAMA, plastics will continue to play an important role in a sustainable future, but we can't continue with business as usual. The use of plastic must fundamentally change and ESVAMA wants to help contribute to that change. The companies are certified according to ISO 14001 and also offer granules of recycled plastic - something they will continue to work on to substantially increase sales in .
Task
The word "sustainable transportation" is a hot topic for many. According to the UN, the transport sector accounts for about a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions globally, and the emissions are growing. Both in public sector, academia and business sector are aware that we have to adjust our transport systems in order to meet the 1.5 degree target and inhibit the effects of climate change. Many companies want to adjust their transports accordingly. At the same time, few customers are willing to pay and accept the terms of more sustainable shipments, which ultimately makes it difficult for companies to transform their way of transporting goods. In competitive markets, it is difficult to increase prices and extend delivery times without losing customers. So what to do?
This project aims to investigate whether there are ways for companies to transform their transport of goods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without losing their competitiveness. What does research say about alternative transport systems for goods? What laws, directives or global agreements are there that may affect the freight transport sector in short terms? Are there large or small companies today that have succeeded in switching to fossil free deliveries, or at least with greatly reduced emissions of greenhouse gases?
With ESVAMA as a case, you should also investigate whether smaller, Swedish companies, with global trade routes, can switch to more sustainable transport without losing competitiveness. The materials that ESVAMA buys come from the Middle East
The word sustainable transport is something that is on many people's lips. According to the UN, the transport sector accounts for about a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions globally, and the emissions are growing. Both in the public sector, in academia and in business, many people are aware that we have to adjust our transport systems in order to meet the 1.5 degree target and inhibit the effects of climate change. Many companies want to rearrange their transports. At the same time, few customers are willing to pay and accept the terms of these shipments, which ultimately makes it difficult for companies to reschedule shipments anyway. In competitive markets, it is difficult to increase prices and extend delivery times without losing customers. So what to do?
This project aims to investigate whether there are ways for companies to work on their transport to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without losing their competitiveness. What does research say about alternative transport systems for deliveries? What laws, directives or global agreements are there that may affect the freight transport sector in the short term? Are there large or small companies today that have succeeded in switching their deliveries to fossil-free, or at least with greatly reduced emissions of greenhouse gases?
With ESVAMA as a case, you should also investigate whether smaller, Swedish companies, with global trade routes, can switch to more sustainable transport without losing competitiveness. The materials that ESVAMA buys mainly comes from the Middle East, Europe and the USA, all areas where a lot of the world's plastic raw material is manufactured. The transports are currently in general carried out by truck within Europe and by boat when it is imported from outside of Europe. Sometimes the delivery goes directly from the producer to the customer, with ESVAMA as a mediator, and sometimes ESVAMA storage the goods in their own warehouses in Belgium, in Helsinki, in Gothenburg and in Anderstorp, Småland.
Based on the mapping of influencing factors, research and good examples, how can ESVAMA change to more sustainable transport?
Related Sustainable Development Goals
