GLAD Project

Timeline of the GLAD project

The GLAD project ended in 2011. It’s success could be felt by the many course participants and by the staff that worked on it. It’s timeline was set from February 2009 to March 2011. Below are the listed objectives and achievements of the GLAD project.

Green Logistics Actions and Deployment

The GLAD Project was a common learning action that consisted of training courses with the objective of improving the logistics operators and logistics students understanding of intermodal freight transport, as well as increasing the demand for intermodal transport. The objective of this project of the Escola Europea de Short Sea Shipping was to provide the information and tools required to promote the European notion of co-modality for those who take decisions on and manage logistics chains, or for those that will do so in the future (operators, shippers and students from countries, universities and training centres within the European Union).

Objectives

The Emotional Logistics as new paradigm

Our evolution towards a knowledge-based society which establishes open systems, and the environmental impact generated by our actions, mean that freight transport logistics must face new challenges and adapt the way it operates to a new reality: the generation of greater economic value will be dictated by the capacity of individuals and companies to share, commit and cooperate. An evolution towards a new paradigm based on emotion and a decision-making approach founded on ethics and environmental became necessary.

The co-modality

The European Commission defines co-modality as the way to improve the performance of each transport mode (and/or its combination with other transport mode(s) ) in terms of safety, environmental performance and energy efficiency. It’s the way to find the right balance between competitiveness and environmental demands.

To generate a real breakthrough

We need to improve logistics operations by:

  • Breaking the tremendous inertia regarding logistics in its operational aspects
  • Promoting the change in modes of transport
  • Explaining the new technologies available for “door to door” operations
  • Giving resources to compete and deal with uncertainty
  • Explaining the repercussions on the environment of the changes

The preservation of the environment

Transport, together with other sectors that rely on logistics services, must take an environmental perspective in its decision-making, taking into consideration the impact which its activities generate. Those responsible for the sector must make a contribution towards managing demand, and promoting the use of more people- and environmentally-friendly methods. Managers within the sector must be familiar with the environmental policy of the European Commission, the work and policies of the European Environment Agency, progresses made in vehicle efficiency, developments in new fuels, transport subsidies and the external costs they generate, as well as any other aspects that can help them take informed and well-founded decisions.