CEPI presented in February 2017 a review of its 2050 roadmap scoping the pathways, transformative investments and policy frameworks required for realising a 80% reduction of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions and a 50% growth in the added-value delivered by the forest-fibres and paper industries in Europe. CEPI’s 2050 roadmap takes into account the emissions from the transport and logistics chain of industry. Emissions are estimated at 5 million tonnes of CO2 in 2015, the equivalent to 1.5 billion litres of diesel and accounts for roughly 10% of overall emission in the forest fibre and paper industry. The 2050 roadmap trajectory implies a GHG emissions reduction by 4 million tonnes in the next 35 years.
Such a reduction will be particularly challenging in the highly complex logistics chain of the forest fibre and paper industry. Indeed, raw materials and product deliveries in the European forest fibre and paper industry total approximately 350 million tonnes and cost 7,5 billion euros annually. Furthermore, the raw material supply chains from forests for raw wood and collection points for recycled paper are more scattered than in many other industries and mostly rely on road transport. In addition, finished products need to be delivered with short lead times to final customers across Europe. As a result, transportation represents a significant share in the cost of our final products and cost-efficient logistics are a central topic for forest fibre and paper companies.
Developed by CEPI members’ transport experts, this paper explores the possible pathways for a cost-efficient reduction of the industry transport and logistics chain emission towards 80% by 2050. It is intended to provide a sector specific illustration of the transport decarbonisation challenges and opportunities, which has now become particularly relevant in the context of the European Union’s debate on low-carbon mobility and its recently launched EU Mobility Package initiatives of 31 May and 8 November 2017.