Every person loses about two years of life, on average, because of air pollution, according to the air quality life index (AQLI), published in an annual report by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute.
Added to that, the UN Environment Programme says nine out of 10 people in the world breathe polluted air, and about 7-million die as a result each year.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) also estimates that about 7-million people die each year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases, among them strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory infections, including pneumonia.
Pollution is in fact the world’s greatest health threat, eclipsing scourges such as HIV/Aids, malaria, and tuberculosis, and is having an equivalent effect to smoking, according to the UN.
The world body also says air pollution is caused mostly by human activities such as driving cars, heavy-duty diesel-powered trucks and buses, and burning coal. As noted at the recent COP26 in Glasgow, limiting global warming is critical if poor nations are to avoid more disasters such as floods, deadly fires and droughts.
So much for the obvious warnings. No wonder SA’s retailers are seeking ways to respond to the UN climate change goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5ºC.
Shoprite — SA’s biggest retailer — is leading the way in waving goodbye to diesel-powered refrigerated trucks and trailers as part of its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. The retailer began to decarbonise its growing fleet of refrigerated trucks and trailers in 2017.
Sanjeev Raghubir, Shoprite group sustainability manager, tells the FM that the retailer has more than 1,300 trailers in its fleet. Of these, 885 are fitted with solar-powered units.
"This is a continuous process as new trucks are acquired annually," he says.
The nonsolar-powered trailers in the fleet are traditional refrigerated trailers, with diesel-powered cooling units.
Raghubir says Shoprite saved more than 950,000l of diesel a year through the decarbonisation of its trailers.
The diesel is saved from the reduced idling of trucks and reduced CO² emissions and opting for a natural refrigerant (nitrogen) to refrigerate products that are environmentally preferable.
By equipping trailers with solar panels, trucks can be switched off while refrigeration and the tailgate lift are still able to run on solar power.
Raghubir says for nonrefrigerated trailers, the company uses two 325Wp (watt peak) solar panels.
He says for refrigerated trailers, four 325Wp solar panels are used to generate energy stored in batteries. This energy is used to move nitrogen around to cool the trailers.
The nitrogen has to be refilled at Shoprite’s depots, similar to the traditional cooling system where the diesel has to be replenished.
Shoprite is also using other technologies to ensure its trucks and trailers are decarbonised.
The retailer uses cameras to monitor truck and trailer activity, remote locking and unlocking of trailers, plus remote temperature monitoring.
"This project is part of our wider environmental sustainability and climate change strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions … cost savings and reduce noise," says Raghubir.
Woolworths has begun trials with electric vans to deliver goods, ordered online, to shoppers’ homes. It says on Twitter: "In line with our vision to be one of the most sustainable retailers in the world, in collaboration with DSV and Everlectric we are trialling electric panel vans into our online shopping delivery fleet, a first in the SA retail space."
The vans source their electricity from renewable and sustainable sources, including rooftop solar photovoltaic installations.
The retailer says: "In the past two months, we’ve saved nearly 3,600kg of CO² emissions."
Woolworths, meanwhile, says it wants to reduce the impact on the environment across its value chain.
Woolworths’ local logistics partner, DSV, is also an old player in using electric vehicles in transport operations. In 2017, DSV Sweden tested a unique Atego Hybrid truck from Mercedes-Benz in Malmö city distribution.
The truck runs on electricity and the new biofuel HVO100.
DSV has also partnered with Panalpina Singapore to introduce new biodiesel trucks to serve its global customer L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific.
Woolworths has also worked with Everlectric, a local supplier of electric cars.
The electric vans and solar-powered vehicles used by Woolworths and Shoprite demonstrate both retailers’ commitment to reducing environmental impacts, while achieving their ambitions for long-term growth.
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