Mainstreaming climate resilience in freight transport planning and operations

Abstract

Freight transport systems (FTS) are critical for the well-functioning of freight flows within countries and across borders. Climate extremes can disrupt freight flows, resulting in economic losses due to costly rerouting, spikes in freight rates or freight disruptions. However, climate extremes, and climate change more generally, are often not adequately included in long-term transport planning, nor are freight logistics generally set up to cope with such disruptions. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the main challenges of FTS and logistics within the context of climate change. Moreover, we summarize approaches and provide actionable guidance on how to improve the resilience of freight movements on three interconnected levels. First, we discuss ways how climate change can be included within the asset life cycle of transport infrastructure. Second, we set out approaches to perform climate criticality analysis of a national or international freight transport network. Third, we discuss logistics and governance considerations that can help boost climate resilience of freight movements on a systemic level. This chapter provides actionable recommendations to mainstream climate resilience in freight transport planning and operations.