September 2006
Book, 142 pages

Transporting goods has always been a crucial issue, playing a role in social and economical development and bringing closer supply and demand. Today, logistics serve a strategic function for firms and the transportation demand is growing fast: transportation could increase by 40% up to 2010.

This trend has substantial consequences for human health and the environment. Lack of control over this development is a source of accidents, noise, pollution, space and non-renewable energy consumption.

As fossil fuels become more and more expensive and global resources decrease in a context of geopolitical instability, firms and local authorities must be able to adapt their transport strategies to the necessity of environmental protection in order to achieve local sustainable development.

External constraints, such as legal trends and public opinion compel firms and local authorities to change their modes of transport. In addition, internal needs such as making financial savings and improving the social image in the eyes of the different stakeholders (including the employees) contribute to this change.

This handbook was published in cooperation with the French logistics association (Aslog), the French public corporation for waterways (VNF), the French postal service (La Poste) and the publisher Sap-Dpe to support companies and local authorities in the development of their own strategy and the implementation of innovative environmental actions.

Intended for persons in charge of transport and logistics, the environment and sustainable development and for all those who have an influence on the transportation demand, this handbook covers the following aspects:

• the current situation of the goods transport sector in France and in Europe,
• a comparison between the different modes of transport with regard to their environmental impacts, their costs and the difficulties in implementation,
• an overview of regulation and legislation,
• methodological advice to apply innovative solutions responding to the challenges of sustainable development,
• 17 experience feedbacks from companies and local authorities illustrate the current best practices (goods transport in cities, inland waterway transport, logistic optimisation…).

In parallel to this handbook, adaptable tools, which help implement those practices, are available in French on Orée’s web site, category Transports et Environnement.