Scaling Solutions for Reducing Emissions from Transport
At our recent Knowledge Exchange – Scaling solutions for reducing emissions from transport, Business in the Community Ireland brought together speakers from An Post, Tesco, Bus Éireann and Applegreen Electric to share how they are cutting greenhouse gas (ghg) emissions from transport and the challenges that remain.
Reducing ghg emissions from transport is a key target, not only at EU and national level but for most businesses. Many have set, or are planning to set, their own emissions reduction targets for transport, be that in their own operations, in their value chain or related to business travel and employee commuting.
Under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 Ireland has a legally binding target to reduce ghg emissions from transport by 50% by 2030. At an EU level the transport sector needs to reduce ghg emissions by 90% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050. These are stretching targets when we look at the data. Firstly, 93% of Ireland’s transport energy came from fossil fuels in 2024. Secondly, transport has the highest energy demand of any sector of the Irish economy. In 2024, the transport sector accounted for 42.3% of Ireland’s energy demand, 37.7% of energy-related emissions, and 21.7% of Ireland’s total ghg emissions[1]. It is therefore imperative that a whole of society approach be taken and that feasible solutions are scaled at pace.
While the four businesses are not unique in their efforts to reduce their emissions from transport, they do provide strong examples of what can be done. Solutions that have been tried and tested include incorporating electric vehicles, hydrated vegetable oil (HVO) and biomethane. But challenges around supply, infrastructure and regulation remain.
In 2025, An Post met its 50% transport emissions reduction target in its own operations, becoming the first postal service globally to do so. A key factor was separating ‘last mile’ from ‘middle mile’ operations and applying different solutions to each. EVs are now used for last mile deliveries, while HVO has proven more suitable for longer routes. It has not been without its challenges, some of which they have been able to overcome, such as the range of electric vehicles. But some remain and will be tackled over the coming years, such as how to make space for more vehicles and infrastructure, as the business model needs to adapt as parcel volumes rise and letter volumes fall.
Tesco are testing the range and load of electric vehicles, with their store in Dun Laoghaire now fully serviced by electric vehicles and they are continuing to seek ways to scale this across the country. Challenges around connection to the grid, especially for high powered chargers remain. They are also working with their partner DHL to test out the use of biomethane. They noted that amendments to regulation to increase the height restrictions of trucks would support their efforts to decarbonise through requiring few journeys.
The use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), as previously mentioned, is another solution being increasingly deployed. HVO is a renewable form of biofuel. It can be used as a diesel substitute and can have a carbon footprint that is at least 65% lower than conventional fossil fuels[2]. It is currently in use by Bus Éireann. There are several challenges that members are facing with HVO, however. First is supply and in particular, securing certified sustainable HVO. Second is storage as using HVO requires large bunkers for refuelling.
Applegreen Electric is enabling the shift to cleaner fuels by their customers by expanding EV charging (including fast charging), rolling out HVO infrastructure, supporting digital and contactless payments, and maintaining 24/7 staffed customer service at sites. These efforts help create a seamless transition for customers while supporting broader national and corporate decarbonisation goals.
At Business in the Community Ireland, we continue to support members in raising their ambition and, crucially, accelerating action to scale solutions that move us toward a net zero economy. Your company can commit to developing a climate transition plan and reaching net zero by signing the Accelerate Pact, more information can be found here.
Get in touch if you’d like to learn more.
