COLOGNE, Germany, June 12, 2009 – Actions by Ford of Europe to reduce the carbon footprint of its vehicle transportation logistics operation have been recognised by a prestigious Supply Chain Distinction Award.
Ford of Europe was successful over three other shortlisted companies to win the sought-after Green Supply Chain award in the 2009 Supply Chain Distinction Awards. http://www.supplychainawards.com/index.asp.
The award was presented at the 11th Annual European Supply Chain and Logistics Summit, an event organised by the London-based World Trade Group and staged in Duesseldorf, Germany.
The judges honored Ford of Europe for its unparalleled performance in environmental supply chain planning and execution. This includes compliance with environmental regulations, minimsing waste from the supply chain process and the overall adoption of “green” practices across the chain.
"We are pleased to have received this award. It recognizes Ford of Europe's strategic vision to continuously improve its CO2 footprint, and to do this over the entire life-cycle of its products. As part of that commitment, we have been increasing the use of sea and river transportation for both our vehicles and components," said Bert Bong, manager, Vehicle Planning & Logistics, Ford of Europe, when receiving the award.
Last year, Ford of Europe's river and sea mileage was 64 per cent of overall finished vehicle transportation movements, resulting in a significant decline in road truck use.
"Our Motorways of the Sea vision is reducing traffic congestion and environmental pollution while also meeting customer expectations cost effectively," added Bong.
Water plays a vital role in moving finished Ford vehicles, with Rhine barges operating from Ford's Niehl assembly plant in Cologne, Germany, to Antwerp in Belgium and beyond to sea ports.
Additionally, there are daily cross-Channel sailings between Vlissingen in the Netherlands and Dagenham in England. There is also a regular sea transportation link between Germany and St. Petersburg in Russia, where Ford has a state-of-the-art vehicle production plant.
It is not only finished vehicles that are transported by water. Each month, Ford of Europe ships many thousands of tonnes of components via river and sea transportation.
In a further action to reduce environmental pollution, Ford is also switching freight from road to rail, which contributes to reductions in CO2 and significantly reduces fuel costs.
Another approach is to use road-going trailers that can be lifted physically on and off suitably designed rail wagons. Examples of this includes shipments from suppliers in Italy to Ford's Genk plant in Belgium. A similar process is used for Genk's suppliers from Scandinavia.
These actions are clear evidence of Ford's continued commitment to reduce to a minimum the environmental impact of its European logistics operations.