Future of FReight
Scotland’s freight system is polluting, inefficient, and overlooked — we must explore better ways of moving goods that better support Scotland’s economy, public health, and the climate.
How do we move goods better? A discussion in Parliament
Freight keeps Scotland moving. Whether it’s supermarket shelves being stocked, construction materials delivered to site, or parcels arriving at our doors. But the way we move goods today is taking a toll: on our roads, on our towns and cities, and on the people who live in them.
Last-mile deliveries, mostly by vans and light trucks covering short distances, are increasingly clogging urban areas, adding to congestion and pollution.
Meanwhile, cross-border freight by heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) remains dominant, but there’s a huge untapped opportunity to shift much of this freight onto rail. With a typical freight train carrying the equivalent of 76 HGVs, rail freight can significantly reduce road traffic, lower emissions, and cut road damage. Within Scotland, over 50 million tonnes of freight travel more than 100km – mostly by road – but rail currently captures only a small fraction of this market.
For international freight, there are clear opportunities to further reduce truck traffic by shifting more international goods to sea and rail rather than road or air.
The Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Sustainable Transport is leading a new inquiry series, Future of Freight, to explore how to build a smarter, cleaner, and more efficient freight system for Scotland’s economy, environment, and communities.
The latest news and events on the CPG’s work programme will be added below.
Find out more about the CPG’s work here.
Cross Party Group
Transform Scotland provides the secretariat for the Scottish Parliament Cross-Party Group on Sustainable Transport.
