Transportation and mobility
Road haulage, according to the European Environment Agency,is the second-largest cause of CO2 emissions, with about 28%. The Transport Logistics Team has been working for many years on the climate-friendly delivery of our products by rail: The products are transported to more than 125 countries as efficiently as possible, to minimise our carbon footprint.
Delivering products around the world by rail
With our own railway sidings at Plant 7 in Dornbirn that connect to the terminal in Wolfurt, as well as several circular route concepts for the railway to avoid empty containers making the return trip, our fittings reach our customers throughout the world while saving resources.
Every week, in close cooperation with the Austrian Federal Railways, 8 train units move back and forth between Dornbirn and Wolfurt. This means that about 5,300 containers travel by rail, instead of by road. This measure alone relieves the strain on road traffic by around 7,000 journeys per year and makes an annual saving of 138 tons of CO2.
Thanks to all the Transport Logistics measures, we have been able to reduce the CO2 emissions of our entire transport service in Austria by 28%, with the railway systems making up half of this, and saving 12,097 tons of CO2 as a result.
Half our lorry fleet is already CO2-neutral
About half of our 13 shuttles, which deliver to our 8 plants in Vorarlberg and also transport components and finished products, already run on Vorarlberg biogas. Compared to conventional diesel lorries, we have therefore been able to reduce the amount of soot particles by over 90%, with around 30% less nitrogen oxide being produced. Gas-powered lorries are also quieter and smoother running. Local partners provide the biogas to fuel the vehicles.
Mobility concept for employees
We encourage our staff to leave the car at home and travel to work by train, bus, bike or even on foot, or, if the car is the only option, to organise car sharing. The aim over the next few years is to increase the proportion from just under 40% to around 60% and bring positive benefits to people's health and the environment. To this end, we are constantly analysing our employee mobility and collaborating closely with transport companies and municipalities. The company provides bicycles for travelling between plants and a third of our cars are already electrically driven.
Sustainable mobility reduces emissions that are harmful to the climate and to health, such as greenhouse gases, particulates, noise and microplastics. We also want to reduce traffic and make life easier for local residents, freeing the roads up for those who depend on them. To encourage this transition, we offer a package of sustainable options: We cover the costs of annual season tickets for the regional transport system for the workforce. This means that not only are we encouraging sustainable mobility on the way to work, but also above and beyond. All employees can enjoy free bus and train travel in Vorarlberg throughout the year – for commuting and for leisure. With the 'bike to work' scheme, Blum subsidises the purchase of new bicycles, in addition to the state subsidy.
Employees who commute sustainably can also collect ecopoints, which can be exchanged for sustainable bonuses in the form of vouchers for regional partners. This reward scheme is an additional motivator. In return for these incentives, our employees relinquish their entitlement to a parking space. All these measures require cooperation and this is the only way to reduce the number of parking places per employee in the longer term.
