14th annual Freight and Logistics Symposium

Sustainability: Does it Make Cents?

Sustainability initiatives may help polish the image of the freight transportation, logistics, and manufacturing industries as well as benefit the environment, but will sustainability also improve the bottom line of each? Sustainability is multifaceted, affecting a wide range of businesses in a variety of ways. For instance, sustainability initiatives can involve everything from materials and packaging to site selection, delivery routes, and fuels. Moreover, making sense of sustainability is especially challenging as companies throughout industry struggle to pick up the pieces from the enormous upheaval caused during the Great Recession.

At this year’s symposium, representatives from the business community, academia, and the public sector explored the financial implications of sustainability on freight and logistics providers. One panel discussion offered national perspectives on sustainability. Another panel discussed the impacts of sustainability on business models, focusing by mode (water, rail, and trucking) on the pros and cons of sustainability in the freight and logistics community.

Proceedings

• Download the proceedings of the 2010 Freight and Logistics Symposium (404 KB PDF)

Program

Sponsors

Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, in cooperation with:

• Minnesota Department of Transportation
• Minnesota Freight Advisory Committee
• Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals—Twin Cities Roundtable
• Metropolitan Council
• Transportation Club
• Trucking Industry Mobility and Technology Coalition