News

Creating a green and more sustainable food supply chain

THE SCOTTISH WHOLESALE ASSOCIATION (SWA) supports the Scottish Government’s ambition for Scotland to be carbon net-zero by 2045.(i) As part of our work to help our members, and sector, become greener and more sustainable, SWA is undertaking a project to help map a plan of how we can collectively decarbonise the wholesale food supply chain and achieve net-zero by 2045…or earlier. The first phase of this project is looking at our distribution fleets, with a particular focus on Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) and Electric Vehicle (EV) technologies. The environmental impact of our members’ cold storage facilities will also be researched ready for Phase 2, which will look at our energy and buildings.

Jessica Palmer has been recruited to investigate how members’ distribution fleets could be made more sustainable and environmentally efficient.

STARTING early March, SWA has recruited Jessica Palmer, a graduate from Strathclyde University, for an initial 12-week placement to carry out the first phase of our Decarbonisation Of The Wholesale Industry Project. This appointment is through the Environmental Placement Programme, run by Bright Green Business, and supported by the Scottish Government. Having completed her MSc in Environmental Entrepreneurship, Jessica will investigate areas of high pollution and energy consumption within the wholesale industry, with a particular focus on our distribution fleets and cold storage facilities, identifying and recommending how these could be made more sustainable and environmentally efficient. Jessica’s report will provide members with a reference tool whereby they can make calculated investment decisions for the future decarbonisation of their businesses as well as contributing data towards the creation of a Wholesale industry Net-Zero transition plan for 2045. Working closely with SWA affiliate member the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association and their members (including the developers, producers, manufacturers and infrastructure engineers of HFC and alternative fuel source products) the project outputs will also help identify where investment and infrastructure requirements should be directed by the manufacturers and developers of those alternative fuels and vehicles. The project will also make recommendations to the Scottish Government, and enterprise organisations, for financial investment in helping the wholesale food and drink supply chain transition to greener technologies.