Incorporating Environmental Aspects in Transport Purchasing

Abstract: The problem addressed in this thesis is how to account for environmental aspects when purchasing freight transports. This problem is addressed from a transport purchasing perspective. The result of the research is a model for how transport purchasers can incorporate environmental aspects when purchasing freight transports. This mode! is built on two tools and a work process. The first too! is a structural approach to enable transport purchasers to assess environmental performance of transport suppliers. The other too! is a method for assessing environmental aspects of a specific transport relation. The second tool furthermore includes a method for how to allocate the environmental aspect of transports to the cargo transported and a method for how to determine environmental aspects of a specific transport relation. The aspects accounted for are the input of energy and the output of emissions of carbon dioxide, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate. The work process describes how the tools can be used in order to support continuous improvements. The work process is described according to the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. The research has been both case study inspired as well as action research oriented. The model was developed in a company where the researcher actively participated in its development. The company in the case study is a major European transport purchaser. The practical implication of the result is a method, which enables transport purchasers to account for environmental aspects in their purchasing work. The theoretical implication of this method can be a step towards developing general theory of accounting for the environment in transport purchasing.