We were honoured to host our second London Logistics Networking & Roundtable Event on the 24th May. We welcomed logistics and supply chain managers for a morning full of inspirational and insightful conversations. Together with our speakers we explored what it takes for logistics and supply chain companies to reach their ESG and green goals. Our next event will be on the 28th November in London. Get an Early Ticket now!
The morning began with a networking and welcoming coffee as our speakers and guests shared some thoughts on what ESG and green logistics mean for their organisations.
The event was held on the 24th May in London!
Together with Descartes Systems Group, EVRi, Zedify UK, British Land, Backhouse Jones Solicitors, we looked into the world of ESG, NetZero, Green Logistics, Social Responsibility and more!
Our next event is on the 28th November! Register now!
We were pleased to host so many actively involved managers, whose aim is to transform not just their companies and operations, but also the whole of the industry. Our speakers include Pol Sweeney from Descartes Systems Group, Nancy Hobhouse from EVRi, Pip Marshall from Zedify, Emily Carpendale from Backhouse Jones Solicitors, and Mike Best from British Land.
Our speakers delivered insightful short talks on key topics related to sustainability and green iniativies in the industry. The discussions were opened by Pol Sweeney, EMEA VP Fleet Sales, at Descartes Systems Group. Pol spoke about the need to engage consumers in the way logistics embraces becoming more transparent.
One of the topics the participants focused on was the price of sustainable delivery. Many shared how their companies organise their deliveries and what problems they encounter. They also spoke about myths and misunderstandings. Often companies do not carefully plan their deliveries and rely on the consumer, without measuring what impact the delivery really has.
ESG Goals & True Carbon Neutral
Our second speakers came from EVRi. We were happy to welcome Nancy Hobhouse, Head of Environmental, Social and Governance. Nancy spoke about what EVRi works on and its impressive ESG targets.
Nancy’s talk led the attendees towards a discussion on how companies achieve their ESG goals and what the problems they face are. Many questions and comments were shared by the attendees.
Nancy also focused on the importance of communication and including all stakeholders. Both internal and external communication is critical for successful ESG achievement.
The attendees also mentioned the difference between NetZero & Carbon Neutral. Often the terms are used as synonyms but Nancy spoke about what they each mean. It is important that all companies in the ESG sphere are correctly referred to and do not break any of the new laws.
After a short networking break, which gave attendees the opportunity to share more of their personal stories and problems, we returned with focus on cargo bikes.
Our next speaker was Pip Marshall, Group Partnerships at Zedify. He spoke about how cargo bikes are being incorporated in the ESG framework and what operational difficulties can be faced.
Pip also took a look at the importance of how carbon emissions can be reduced by almost 96% using carbo bikes. This led to a discussion on the need to change the infrastructure to accommodate more cargo bikes, as well as what different areas – urban and rural, will look like.
Contracts & ESG Frameworks
The following talk was led by Emily Carpendale, Solicitor at Backhouse Jones Solicitors. Emily took a look at what policies need to be in place to achieve all ESG goals. She also focused on some misconceptions and what happens when companies just copy-paste a policy from the Internet.
Emily took a look at different frameworks and how they address the social element of ESG. The discussion brought into focus how logistics organisations manage their people and what incentives are provided to include all different backgrounds.
Emily’s talk led to a look at how the industry provides support to different minority groups, as well as what each participant had personally experienced.
One of the important points raised was how mental health policies are reshaping the hiring market and how important it is for companies to include such frameworks. Emily also covered different cases around ESG compliance and how contracts can be won or lost depending on what policies and frameworks are put in place.
Developing Land
The last talk was led by Mike Best, Head of Logistics at British Land. Mike spoke about the importance of local, micro-hubs and shared a case study, looking specifically at the best London locations for such a development.
In addition, Mike covered a specific project, led by British Land, around Paddington, which aims to incorporate mix-used development with an easy access to a prime city location.
The discussion then focused on the companies which can use such locations, what can be done to help a mix-used case, as well as how local authorities can help such developments.
The day finished with a short networking session where our guests had the chance to share any additional thoughts and comments. ✷
