August 2009
By Jennifer Ash
The theme for World Environment Week, which took place from 1 to 5 June 2009, was Climate Change. People everywhere were encouraged to unite to combat Climate Change.
In Gauteng Region, Safcor Panalpina's Green Extremes embarked on a Supply Chain climate impact awareness campaign. Our point of departure was a basic overview of a Supply Chain, tracing the route from supplier source, through the channels, degroup and extended logistics to the final destination with our clients.
Each day we focused on a different aspect of our Supply Chain's potential impact on the environment and, directly or indirectly, on our climate, from transport and fuel usage to paper, energy, water and finally waste. As the Supply Chain developed daily, it highlighted the areas where we have the most obvious impact on the environment. By the end of the week, a very clear picture had taken shape.
How can we modify our Supply Chain activities to reduce our impact on the environment and our Climate? Don't be the ODD one out, join the global drive to combat Climate Change. (Posters made available by UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme).
World Environment Day
This was celebrated at Gauteng operations with a ‘green' menu at all sites. Videos with a common theme of Climate Change were screened throughout the day. Everyone had an opportunity to learn more about the global effects of Climate Change and where we, as humans, fit into the bigger picture. The message was loud and clear. Each and every one of us needs to face the reality that, without serious efforts on our part to reduce the detrimental effects our lifestyles and work activities have on the environment, the less chance there is of a tomorrow for our children.
Where to from here?
Well, now that the areas of greatest impact have been highlighted and identified, we can begin to measure the actual size of our impact and find innovative ways to reduce our Carbon Footprint. We are liaising with the Bidvest Sustainability programme and Panalpina to establish reliable base line data for our Carbon Footprint and subsequent carbon emission reduction action plans.