Ahréns Åkeri is Swedish transport and logistics company delivering goods on roads all across Europe. Its business offer includes the full distribution chain from storage to freight. The company has an expressed dedication towards making sure their environmental impact is as low as possible.
Compared to 2022, Ahréns Åkeri AB decreased 2023 emissions by about 14.2% (in relation to the same activities). During 2023, emissions from manufacturing of purchased vehicles was also included in the GHG inventory. Most of the decrease is related to the combustion and production of fuel, which saw a significantly increased proportion of biofuel (HVO) compared to the previous year. While standard diesel still makes up the majority of fuel consumption, HVO went from 3.6% to 14.2% of total volumes. As the charts also indicate, it is obvious that diesel covers most of Ahréns Åkeri AB's climate impact.
| Source | Description | Share | tCO2e |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | Direct emissions from assets owned or controlled by the company | 54.21% | 2762.04 |
| Scope 2 | Indirect emissions from purchased energy such as electricity or heating | 0% | 0 |
| Scope 3 | Other indirect emissions upstream and downstream in the value chain | 45.79% | 2332.8 |
Ahréns Åkeri AB has reduction targets for Scope 1 verified by SBTi according to the dedicated route for SMEs. GoClimate humbly recognizes the hardship for many small- and medium-sized companies in setting targets that cover the entire value chain (Scope 3). While the company's targets, reducing the emissions for 2022 related to fuel combustion by 42% up until 2030 (5.3% absolute linear reduction), is certainly contributing to the 1.5 degree target of the Paris Agreement, it does not yet fulfill the GoClimate requirements for the achievement of Ambitious climate targets under the CO2 Transparency.
It is clear where efforts should be prioritized. Emissions related to the fuel used in the company’s truck fleet is associated with the overwhelming majority of emissions (72%), mainly attributed to diesel (70%). At the same time, the current Swedish policy for greenhouse gas reduction mandates for fuel suppliers has been lowered, meaning the share of biofuel components in the standard diesel likely will decrease heavily from 2024 onwards. Therefore the following alternatives will likely aid in decreasing the carbon footprint of Ahréns Åkeri AB:
Electrification of the truck fleet. More fuel means more emissions, no matter if it's biofuel or not. A viable option is to introduce heavy duty BEVs (battery electric vehicles). If charged with renewable energy, this would reduce emissions to a miniscule amount. As such, BEVs can play a significant role in lowering the climate impact. Gradual electrification of the truck fleet should therefore be a long term strategy for the company. It will be important to keep track of how the efficiency of electric trucks is maturing to progressively introduce them to longer routes. During 2024, Ahréns Åkeri AB has reportedly acquired their first electric vehicles.
Increased use of HVO. Since it is the customers and partners of Ahréns Åkeri AB that decides what type of fuel to use, it is of interest to find ways of promoting the more sustainabile choice of using biofuels (as compared to standard diesel). This should in all cases be seen as a short-term strategy, and measures should be taken to ensure that the HVO is not from manufactured or sources from in unsustainable ways.