Vehicles are major contributors to pollution as petrol and diesel emissions produce harmful greenhouse gases. In a mere 8 years’ time, an estimated 127 million vehicles will be produced globally. By 2035, the total number of vehicles could be 2 billion! There is no stopping the essential need for transportation. But a change must be made to alternative fuels that minimise and even eradicate further environmental harm. Why start now? Studies have shown that traditional vehicle fuel consumption, like diesel exhaust, negatively impact pollination. Without it, humans and the earth’s ecosystems would cease to exist. Of the 1400 crop plants grown worldwide, i.e. those that produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products, almost 80% require pollination.
South Africa has set a development plan for 2030 to diversify the energy mix and reduce carbon emissions. Therefore, many companies are having to be more transparent about their carbon transmissions and take environmental recommendations on board. This is especially true for the logistics industry where there is an urgent need to reduce or remove emissions of carbon dioxide and/or other greenhouse gases made by fleets in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. To accomplish this, fleets need to be environmentally optimised by tapping into an energy mix that minimises the use of traditional combustion engines which run on petrol and diesel.
While electric vehicles are gaining popularity worldwide, they are usually better suited to personal use rather than commercial fleets. Another green energy solution especially suited to large-scale fleets is natural gas. Natural gas consists mostly of methane and is drawn from gas wells or pockets underground. While used in industrial and domestic settings, Compressed Natural Gas is an alternate fuel for vehicles. Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) do not contribute significantly to pollution and smog, because they emit low levels of nitrogen oxides, and virtually no particulate matter (droplets of metals, acids, soil, and dust) into the air. For this reason, NGVs can be used to help combat air pollution in areas where air quality is poor, which is an issue in cities worldwide. Shifting to cleaner alternatives like natural gas fleets could successfully reduce smog production in urban centres where it is needed most and result in clearer, healthier air.
Siyakhulisa Logistics believes that sustainable energy choices need to be made in order to achieve a greener South Africa.
