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Wider aspects of sustainability in freight transport
improvement is also expected from an anticipated shift from individual car ownership to a shared use of vehicles, meaning the number of cars that are being manufactured could be reduced on a per person measure (overall the number of cars will probably still increase due to population growth).
There is, however, also a worry that autonomous vehicles may increase urban sprawl as people will be more willing to accept longer travels because they will be able to use the journey time productively when they don’t have to pay any attention to driving anymore. The disappearing cost for lorry drivers may also lead to more and longer journeys as the cost savings make it then more economically attractive to use a supplier further afield or to place an extra delivery order. Another aspect to worry about will be the loss of employment opportunity for vehicle drivers. The UK on its own employs around 300,000 lorry drivers, with many more drivers being employed in delivery services, as couriers, and driving buses and taxis. The social impact of autonomous vehicles will need to be prepared for and addressed as technology advances and replaces some of these employment opportunities.
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SOuRCES Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; Guardian; GreenBiz.
At the early stages of sustainability in freight transport, the discussion was mainly limited to the reduction of greenhouse gases and often narrowed down to CO2 only. This perspective, however, was replaced over the years with a more holistic view including more aspects of sustainability. Consequently, the discussion became more complex through the consideration of other environmental issues like biodiversity, but also through the addition of social and economic issues.
We have already discussed the production of biofuels, where an earlystage enthusiasm changed into a more critical debate over its effects on the environment and where ethical questions of food versus fuel are raised.
Public interest in the sustainability of global sourcing and freight transport was stimulated in the food miles debate. It also came with a trend for consuming more locally produced food products and generally a
