A new survey has found that at least 90% of supply chain professionals worldwide rate green issues as a business priority to ensure success and profitability for the future.

Eyefortransport's Green Transportation and Logistics Global Report released this month was based on the input of 536 respondents in the supply chain industry worldwide.

US respondents said government compliance, improved customer and public relations, a decreased fuel bill and financial ROI were the key drivers for investment in green initiatives.

The Middle Eastern and Asia Pacific data revealed supply chain efficiency, a larger corporate responsibility agenda, a decreased fuel bill and improved customer and public relations were the most important drivers for the regions' response to the green challenge.

In Europe, improving customer and public relations and a larger corporate responsibility agenda were the highest on the list of drivers for green transportation and logistics initiatives.

Asked what green initiatives have been implemented or planned, 59% of US respondents said they are improving or are planning to improve energy efficiency, 42% are using or are planning to use vehicle re-routing to reduce mileage and use strategic warehouse and distribution centre placement to go green. Another favoured initiative was emission measuring and/or reduction. The least frequent choice was the moving of freight away from air towards other modes.

In the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions, energy efficiency was the initiative being planned or currently used most often. Strategic warehouse and distribution centre placement was also popular. Least implemented initiatives included movement of freight away from air towards other modes and alternative fuels.

European respondents chose improving energy efficiency as the most popular current or planned initiative followed by emissions measurement and reduction, vehicle re-routing and strategic warehouse and distribution centre placement. Intermodal transport changes were again the lowest reported.

Eyefortransport conducted the Green Transportation & Logistics US Survey from June to July 2007. To compile the global report, another three surveys were conducted from August to September 2007 for the Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific regions.

A majority of the respondents came from the transport and logistics sector while the rest came from the hi-tech and electronics, food, retail and consumer packaged goods, automotive, chemical and healthcare/pharmaceutical and defence/aerospace sectors.

Companies like Nike, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Fujitsu and GE Energy will be sharing their green transportation and logistics initiatives at the Green Transportation and Logistics World Summit at the Zurich Marriott on February 20-21, 2008. For more information, visit www.eft.com/green2008.