I am pleased to announce the first signaturies to the European limate Transact Initiative. As the UK representative on the Green Logistics Consultants Group I look forward to driving this project forward in the UK. Please contact me if you are interested in taking part.

1. PRESS RELEASE European organisations representing the retail sector, users of freight transport services, logistics associations, intermodal industry and the road transport sector call on national and European policy makers to establish a voluntary public private sustainable freight transport partnership in Europe Brussels, 22 September 2009 We, the undersigned companies and organisations share a common vision in caring for the environment and recognise that further action is needed to make freight transportation more environmentally sustainable. We consider voluntary Public Private Sustainable Transport Partnerships as a valuable policy option and as a cost effective alternative to legislation. These partnerships have the following characteristics: Structured relationship between a government (or international agency) and multiple private sector entities to address the environmental issues of freight transport; Promotion of the availability and benefits of new technology, best practices that improve fuel efficiency, lower greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution; Focused on market transformation programs with objectives that look for new ways of working – not just “business as usual”; Development of harmonised data sources and tools for transport companies and shippers to calculate the fuel and greenhouse gas performance of their transport and freight operations; Provision of incentives to help companies to implement best practices and to invest in new technology; Recognition opportunities for participating transport companies and shippers demonstrating advanced practices and achieving superior levels of environmental performance. We recognise the need for a more harmonized approach in the European Union. A European approach would significantly contribute to realizing economies of scale, delivering a higher acceptance rate by the transport industry and shippers which will lead to more significant benefits than different national initiatives. Current best practices in European member states as well as in the USA (EPA SmartWay) and Japan (Green Distribution Partnership) could be incorporated in this common model. We call on national and European policymakers to establish a common platform for the development of a voluntary public private sustainable transport partnership in Europe. We will support such an initiative and will work in partnership with governments and the European authorities in helping to develop such a common voluntary programme and will strongly encourage others to join us. Signatories ECR EuropeKatrin ReckeECR Europe supply side project managerEuroCommerceXavier R. Durieu Secretary GeneralEuropean Logistics AssociationAlfonz AntoniELA PresidentEuropean Shippers’ CouncilNicolette van der JagtSecretary GeneralEuropean Intermodal Association (*)Peter WoltersDeputy Secretary GeneralInternational Road Transport UnionMichael NielsenGeneral Delegate EIA * Though we do endorse the Climate Transact Declaration including the phrase ‘We consider voluntary Public Private Sustainable transport partnerships as a valuable policy option and as a cost effective alternative to legislation..’, it should not become a green card for public authorities not to produce necessary coherent sustainable transport measures. ________________________ “The list of signatories is published on www.climatetransact.eu and will be updated when other parties join the present signatories.” FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeremy Hammant LCP Consulting ltdTel. +44 1442 872298Email: jeremy.hammant@lcpconsulting.com Notes for Editors Climate TransAct Climate TransAct is a European project to harmonize sustainable transport programs and to develop a common public private sustainable transport partnership in Europe based on best practices in several European countries, the SmartWay programme of the US Environmental Environment Agency and the Green Distribution Partnerships in Japan. The initiative to develop Climate TransAct has its origin in the international summit on December 2-4, 2008, hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in cooperation with the University of Michigan. The conclusion of this summit was that Public Private Sustainable Transport Partnerships are a strong policy instrument to improve the energy and environmental performance of freight transport. Following the conclusions of this summit the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) and a consortium of European consultants in the global Green Logistics Consultants Group decided to map the interest of private and public authorities in the development of such a programme in Europe. Broad expert and stakeholder consultations in the first part of 2009 confirmed the need and significant interest in a European approach and in the harmonization of several current and planned sustainable transport programmes in multiple EU member states. Several meetings of private stakeholders and public authorities have been organized to define common objectives and to develop the programme in Europe. Present public authorities involved in the development of the programme include ministries of transport or other competent authorities in Germany, Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Sweden. www.climatetransact.euwww.greenlogisticsconsultants.comwww.ademe.fr LCP Consulting Ltd LCP Consulting is the UK’s leading specialist in customer-driven supply chain management. With over 25 years’ experience, we deliver solutions that enable supply chains to make major contributions to business profitability. Our fact-based supply chain diagnostics identify where and how to cut costs, improve efficiency and invest for the future. We are the UK’s representative on the Green Logistics Consultants Group and have worked on a variety of green supply chain projects in the UK and Europe. European Logistics Association The European Logistics Association, is a federation of 30 national organisations, covering almost every country in Central and Western Europe. The goal of ELA is to provide a forum for co-operation for any individual or society concerned with logistics within Europe and to assist industry and commerce in Europe. www.elalog.org EuroCommerce EuroCommerce represents the retail, wholesale and international trade sectors in Europe. Its membership includes commerce federations and companies in 31 European countries. Commerce plays a unique role in the European economy, acting as the link between manufacturers and the nearly 500 million consumers across Europe over a billion times a day. It is a dynamic and labour-intensive sector, generating 11% of the EU’s GDP. Over 95% of the 6 million companies in commerce are small and medium-sized enterprises. www.eurocommerce.be European Shippers’ Council The European Shippers’ Council (ESC) represents the interests of European shippers as users of freight transport services in all modes of freight transport, both within Europe and overseas. Twelve national transport user organisations and a number of key European commodity trade associations are members of the European Shippers’ association. www.europeanshippers.com ECR Europe ECR Europe is a joint trade and industry body, launched in 1994 to make the grocery sector as a whole more responsive to consumer demand and promote the removal of unnecessary costs from the supply chain. With its headquarters in Brussels, the organisation works in close co-operation with national ECR initiatives in most European countries. Participation in projects at European and national levels is open to large and small companies in the grocery and fast moving consumer goods sectors - including retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, suppliers, brokers and third-party service providers such as logistics operators. ECR Europe organizes projects where companies from all over Europe explore new areas of working together to fulfil consumer wishes better faster and at less costs or deepen existing experiences. The results of these projects are published for a wide audience through our publications and our annual ECR Europe conference which attracts thousands of (top) managers from all over the world. www.ecrnet.org International Road Transport Union The IRU, through its national associations, represents the entire road transport industry world-wide. It speaks for the operators of coaches, taxis and trucks, from large transport fleets to driver-owners. In all international bodies that make decisions affecting road transport, the IRU acts as the industry's advocate. By working for the highest professional standards, the IRU improves the safety record and environmental performance of road transport and ensures the mobility of people and goods. www.iru.org European Intermodal Association The European Intermodal Association is the only European association open to all transport modes: rail, road, waterborne, air. Its aim is to improve the co-operation of the different modes of transport as the logistics' chain still has lots of shortcomings in infrastructural, technical, organisational and legal respect. Therefore, this neutral organisation with more than 90 members is suitably qualified to discuss controversial subjects and to propose well balanced sustainable solutions in line with and to improve the EU transport policy. In this sense EIA offers its services to the EU Institutions in order to help shaping the appropriate measures. www.eia-ngo.com