The pledge is made in the context of the United Nations' goal of limiting global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, as per the Paris Agreement 2015.
Avril has committed to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, direct and indirect, by 30% by 2030.
The French group said, in that respect, it wants to accelerate the decarbonization of its logistics chain, with an emphasis on improving the carbon footprint of its road transport.
To achieve that goal, 50% of the trucks in its transport system will, by 2023, run on renewable energy produced by Avril subsidiary, Saipol. By 2025, it is anticipated that 100% of those trucks will use that rapeseed derived product, which is branded as Oleo100.
That pledge would cover all of Avril's activities in France in its four priority markets: specialty ingredients, consumer food products, renewable energies, and solutions and services for farmers.
Upstream and downstream services
The commitment is incorporated into the group’s selection procedure for transport service providers that cover its upstream freight needs – the transport of raw materials to its industrial sites and its downstream freight requirements – the transport of finished products to its customers: farmers, processors or distributors.
Jean-Philippe PUIG, CEO of the Avril Group, commented [translated from the original French]: “From 2023, all transport chartered by Avril in France will be committed to the Oleo100 approach, illustrating the commitment of the group and its partners to convert their fleets to achieve 100% carbon-free transport activity. This collective approach encourages our suppliers, as well as our downstream and upstream customers, to better integrate transport impact into their sustainable development strategy.”
The Avril group saw revenues of €5.8bn (US$6.5bn) in 2020; it operates two complementary businesses: one organized around the plant and animal sectors; and an investment arm via its subsidiary, Sofiprotéol.
Cloud-based logistics
In December last year, we reported on how Dutch feed group, Nutreco, had started using integrated cloud-based logistics platform provider, Transporeon, to optimize its logistics sourcing and execution, monitor the environmental impact of shipping feed, and further improve its customer service.
The software management solution, it said, would enable it to optimize its shipment planning across its operating companies, as well as to utilize data to minimize empty runs and increase its sustainability efforts on shipments.
It told us it would look to optimize movements of trucks at its plants and warehouses as well by using a slot management tool provided by Transporeon, so that it could track its shipments and proactively inform its customers in case of holdups due to traffic delays.
The logistics software would also allow it evaluate its carbon emissions.
