BIFAlink December 23

Policy & Compliance

seen as an auspicious day in BIFA’s history marking the Sustainable Logistics Policy Group launched Members attending the inaugural meeting discussed how the policy group can provide meaningful guidance on environmental and sustainability issues as they impact the UK and the international freight services industry “ By

sustainability expert and consultant to BIFA, gave a presentation about the wider business case and requirements of any supply chain, whilst Lucinda Maxwell, founders’ associate, from Pledge, delivered an interesting overview about calculating freight emissions and sustainability regulations. At the meeting, Director General Steve Parker emphasised the significance of this new policy group and urged those present to encourage other Members to attend future meetings. Different stages He said: “All BIFA Members are at different stages of their journey in regards to the development of policy that addresses environmental and sustainability issues within the supply chains that they manage. “By participating in this policy group, Members will be able to help shape best practice guidance and develop methods via which BIFA can represent Members’ interests on this subject in our interaction with government and other stakeholders that are developing legislation on the matter.” Due to the importance of this subject to their business, Members are urged to engage with the Sustainable Logistics Policy Group. The next meeting is in March 2024 and anyone wanting to attend should contact Mike Jones - m.jones@bifa.org

N ovember 16, 2023, will be fi rst meeting of the new Sustainable Logistics Policy Group, managed by Mike Jones, Policy Advisor Sustainability & Environment. Environmental and sustainability issues are not new and for many years BIFA has been monitoring the legislation, tracking any new regulations and delivering advice. Environmental issues Within the pages of BIFAlink , and on bifa.org, we have published numerous articles on various environmental issues such as plastic packaging and the problems surrounding its disposal, as well as the development of different fuel types and their respective merits and de-merits. Over time, the environmental agenda within freight and logistics has developed, and whilst the focus is often about carbon emissions, there are other wide- ranging generic issues. With all of the above in mind,

BIFA felt the need to establish a policy group to help identify and report to the Association and its Members on environmental- related issues that may in the future have an impact on their businesses, or in fact are already doing so. At the meeting, attendees discussed how the policy group could work to provide guidance to the association in order to deliver meaningful support on environmental and sustainability issues as they impact the UK and the international freight services industry. Future meetings will discuss how to agree and set the association’s policy on all issues concerning environmental matters. The date of the meeting also marked ‘Use Less Stuff Day’, which seemed like an appropriate time for the first meeting of a policy group established to help BIFA assist all of its Members, whatever their size, meet the ever-increasing challenges associated with environmental and sustainability issues within freight and logistics. Kelly Hobson of Shape Tomorrow,

participating in this policy group, Members will be able to help shape best practice guidance and develop methods via which BIFA can represent Members’ interests on this subject

8 | December 2023

www.bifa.org

Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker