An Evaluation of Ireland’s Sustainable Freight Transport Policy

Xu Zhang (), Eoin Plant and Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos
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Xu Zhang: The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Ireland, Technological University Dublin, D07 EWV4 Dublin, Ireland
Eoin Plant: The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Ireland, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh EH14 1DJ, UK
Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos: The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Ireland, Technological University Dublin, D07 EWV4 Dublin, Ireland

Logistics, 2022, vol. 6, issue 3, 1-23

Abstract: Background : The Irish government has put forth sustainable transport policy measures, yet the emphasis is mainly on the active travel and sustainable mobility for passenger transport. Contrariwise, freight transport has not received equal consideration in policy measures, regulatory frameworks, and support schemes towards the low-carbon transition. This study seeks to address this imbalance. Methods : The paper proposes an adaptation of the ASI framework for freight transport and assesses the applicability of a number of international sustainable transport measures based on their potential sustainability impact if adopted in Ireland. The research applied a Policy Delphi Method to a heterogeneous expert panel. Results : The findings indicate that the current sustainable freight transport policy measures in Ireland are limited, and the paper suggests 38 measures for supply chains, maritime transport, rail transport and urban freight transport. The analysis further suggests that decarbonisation measures in Ireland should first formulate on the decarbonisation stages ‘avoid’ and ‘shift’, and then move to the ‘improve’ stage, thus leading to a greater impact on decarbonising the freight sector. Conclusions : An ‘ASI for freight transport’ framework is proposed as a taxonomy to systematically compare freight decarbonisation policy measures locally and internationally. This updated framework can serve as a new lens to prioritise sustainable freight policy measures. Recommendations are proposed for developing policy measures for sustainable freight transport in Ireland.

Keywords: logistics; road freight; sustainability; decarbonisation; policy; avoid-shift-improve (ASI) approach; Delphi method; policy Delphi; Ireland (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L8 L80 L81 L86 L87 L9 L90 L91 L92 L93 L98 L99 M1 M10 M11 M16 M19 R4 R40 R41 R49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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