SupplyChainDigital

Paul Murray, Pursuing Net Zero Across the Supply Chain | P&SC LIVE: Net Zero 2026

In a P&SC LIVE session, Paul Murray of XPO Logistics outlined the company’s roadmap to achieve net‑zero emissions across its global supply‑chain operations, emphasizing that the logistics sector must decarbonise as part of broader UK and international climate commitments. Since launching its sustainability programme in 2019, XPO has set interim goals of 20% emissions cut by 2027 and 30% by 2030, and reports a 26% reduction to date while expanding revenue by 55%. The firm attributes the progress to a suite of levers: shifting 23% of UK fuel to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) – which cuts emissions by roughly 90% – expanding multimodal rail solutions, and deploying battery‑electric trucks (15 in the UK, 140 in France). Murray highlighted concrete examples: a £1.4 million depot‑charging estimate was driven down to under £100 k through specialist negotiation; AI‑driven route planning now heat‑maps carbon intensity per consignment, enabling load‑consolidation and up to 58%‑93% rail‑related emission reductions. He also cited Larry Fink’s shareholder‑pressure message and noted that transport accounts for 25.7% of global GHGs, with heavy‑goods vehicles alone representing 19.6%. The update underscores that logistics firms can grow profitably while cutting carbon, but it also flags rising policy uncertainty – such as delayed UK zero‑emission vehicle mandates and automaker pull‑backs – which could strain future infrastructure investments. XPO’s experience suggests that clear targets, cross‑functional governance, and technology adoption are essential for the sector to meet net‑zero by 2050.