Grahame Neagus, Head of LCV at Renault Trucks UK & Ireland: As we enter the summer of 2021, we are expecting the Government to publish the much-anticipated Transport Decarbonisation Plan that will set out how we as a nation will reduce our emissions to the required levels.
This plan will give us all a roadmap to which we can align our own strategies, and its impacts will be far-reaching for road freight – by 2030 we will be looking at a very different landscape. Yet how many businesses actually have a decarbonisation plan today? And as the current recruitment challenges for transport and logistics hit the headlines, how can we make sure we attract the right people now to build a thriving industry fit for the future?
One of the first issues to face is that for young people starting out, transport and logistics is not a particularly aspirational career and, despite being lauded as keyworkers during the pandemic, it is still viewed quite negatively outside the sector. This means we are dealing with an ageing, male-dominated workforce, with no one to replace them.
It is clear that we urgently need to reframe the narrative to attract and retain young talent. Fast moving, fast paced and high tech, this is an industry with great prospects and a sustainable future. For example, at Renault Trucks we have already introduced electric vehicles from 3.1 – 26 tonnes into the market, and by 2023 we will have a 100% electric version of every vehicle in our range. Our parent company, Volvo Group, has committed to the most ambitious targets in the industry, to achieve net-zero value chain greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and interim targets that have been independently validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, with a roadmap that is in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
For younger workers who value organisations that have a positive impact on the world, the transport and logistics industry is ideally placed to appeal to the next generation.
Yes, people get very excited about the latest electric cars like Tesla and Jaguar iPace, but the Transport and Logistics sector is advancing at a faster rate than cars. These are exciting times both for those already in our sector and for those new entrants on the first rung of the ladder, with strong growth and opportunities for career progression ahead.
And by sharing a commitment to innovation, technology and the environment, by looking at your own decarbonisation plan across all aspects of your operation – drivers, traffic desks and workshops – together we will deliver the government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan.
However, both government and local government must incentivise and support businesses not only in the purchase of commercial electric vehicles, but also in the infrastructure and the people to deliver – to accelerate this change.
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