Far-reaching new approaches to mitigating the harmful environmental impacts of freight transport are emerging from Green Logistics. The four year research project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), is taking a hard look at the sustainability of logistics systems and supply chains. Key task areas include the rationalisation of reverse logistics; congestion-aware routeing and scheduling; the importanceof overcoming transport uncertainty; the environmental implications of B2C e-commerce; and the more efficient use of vans in urban areas. Aims of the research project are setting up and maintaining a comprehensive data repository, and creating a holistic and integrated toolkit. Key public and private sector stakeholders are involved in the project. Academic consortium members are each pursuing specific themes relating to the key task areas, with a view to achieving outcomes such as improved freight forecasting techniques; environmentally improved route scheduling, operating and modelling of future traffic pattern changes; improvements in carbon auditing; more sustainable use of light goods vehicles; and improved confidence in theuse of reverse logistics.
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