US programmes to decarbonise Supply Chains
- September 23, 2024
- William Payne
Since 2022, the US Government has stepped up efforts to decarbonise US supply chains and logistics networks. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the White House have pursued a national supply chain decarbonisation strategy that includes funding, policy measures, and technological innovation. 2024 has seen a growing range of measures to promote supply chain decarbonisation and promote cleaner environments in port cities.
Efforts to decarbonise the US logistics sector has a wide-ranging impact on a number of US industries. It affects not only the US logistics sector directly, but port and industrial operations, city planning, urban health and city regeneration programmes, the transport sector, energy grid modernisation, and the construction industry.
The US transportation sector, which include both passenger travel and the nationwide network of supply chains and logistics, represents the single largest source of US GHG emissions, accounting for 33% of the national total.
In 2024, the US Government has announced an increasing number of measures to achieve cleaner logistics and supply chains. This includes a $1.5 billion initiative to encourage the adoption of zero-emission vehicles for freight transport. This initiative will support the replacement of Class 6 and Class 7 heavy-duty vehicles, including delivery trucks, with zero-emission alternatives. It also aims to enable the development of charging and refuelling infrastructure for zero-emission freight vehicles and includes efforts to improve air quality and reduce pollution in communities near ports.
In order to address pollution from trucks at US ports, the DOT is providing $400 million to fund projects to reduce truck idling and associated emissions, and the acquisition and deployment of electric vehicles for port operations.
The DOT and White House are looking at technology development as a key part of US supply chain decarbonisation. In addition to promoting development of Zero Emission Vehicles, with a budget of $1.5 billion to support their adoption, the Administration is also promoting development of a nationwide network of charging stations for electric trucks. It is also promoting the construction of a national refuelling infrastructure for alternative fuels such as hydrogen.
The DOT is adopting a data-driven approach to its efforts to promote a growing infrastructure of technology and software to support transport decarbonisation. An example is the DOT’s requirement that federally funded electric vehicle chargers make data on their location, availability, and pricing accessible to third-party software developers.
In 2024, the Department of Energy launched “SuperTruck: Charged”. This has $72 million in funding and aims to demonstrate the benefits of vehicle-grid integration (VGI) for heavy-duty electric trucks. The programme is part of the wider DoE SuperTruck programme, a research and development initiative aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of heavy-duty trucks.
SuperTruck: Charged will explore how coordinating the charging of electric trucks with the electricity grid can enable depots and truck stops to offer more affordable and reliable charging. The programme will also investigate how this technology can enhance the resilience of the electricity grid.
In addition to addressing tailpipe emissions within logistics and supply chains, the DOT has also put in place a policy for construction and building of transportation infrastructure that aims to tackle embodied carbon. This is greenhouse gas (GHG) generated during the life cycle of construction materials, from extraction and production to transportation and installation. The DOT’s Buy Clean policy is a strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of the overall transportation infrastructure including roads, bridges, ports, and airports.
To support its Buy Clean policy, the DOT is encouraging the use of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in transportation projects. EPDs provide standardised information about the environmental impact of products, including their embodied carbon.
The General Services Administration (GSA), which manages the federal government’s real estate portfolio, is developing national low-carbon concrete and sustainable asphalt standards for Land Port of Entry projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The DOT is also establishing a Department-wide Embodied Carbon Working Group to assess and implement actions to reduce lifecycle emissions from construction materials used in transportation infrastructure.