13 April 2011: The World Bank approved a Global Environment Facility (GEF) project to demonstrate the local and environmental benefits of green truck technology to over 500,000 truck operators in the Guandong Province of China.

The project aims to provide better information on the performance of proven energy efficiency technologies and practices and demonstrate their environmental benefits so as to increase awareness and demand for them. It will facilitate communication and cooperation among energy-efficient vehicle technology suppliers, freight carriers, freight shippers, financial institutions and other key stakeholders.

Participating trucking companies will receive training and incentive packages to support the procurement, installation and monitoring of verified energy-efficient technologies on eligible freight vehicles. The project will also support studies and pilot projects on low-carbon logistics operations, including feasibility of developing an advanced logistics brokerage information system and wide application of “drop-and-hook” transport in Guangdong.

Capacity building is a critical part of the project, including green freight policy research to identify policies that support wide-scale implementation of green freight technologies and practices, training for government officials and enterprise managers, development and maintenance of a green freight website, organization of a green freight technology “trade fair,” and project promotion and information dissemination. [World Bank Press Release] [Climate Change Policy & Practice Story on the GEF Approval of the Project]