Meeting CO₂ emission reduction targets with intermodality, efficiency measures and alternative fuels drove the conversation at a recent IRU Green Compact Roundtable in Vienna.
More than 30 IRU corporate members and partners came together in Vienna, Austria, at IRU member LKW Walter’s headquarters to discuss decarbonisation challenges and opportunities over one day.
Family-owned, 101-year-old LKW Walter organises some 7,000 full truck loads every day. This places it among the top 40 companies in Austria – across all industries.
Its decarbonisation targets are equally ambitious: 30% CO₂ reduction by 2030, 70% by 2040, and net-zero by 2045 (using 2023 as the baseline) – all while meeting growing freight volumes.
This commitment to decarbonisation set the tone for the discussions, which centred around LKW Walter’s sustainability strategy; intermodality opportunities and challenges; upcoming regulations; tolls; the status of alternative fuel vehicles, incentives and required enabling conditions; and proven efficiency levers.
Industry stakeholders also presented several recently completed or ongoing decarbonisation pilots, providing insights into what is and isn’t operationally feasible in the coming years.
The discussions were backed by the findings of IRU’s new Green Compact survey. The survey, the first of its kind, found that operators are committed to decarbonisation – adopting efficiency measures and planning alternative fuel investments – but high vehicle and energy costs, limited infrastructure, and complex regulation remain significant obstacles.
IRU also shared insights based on its Alternative Fuels and Efficiency Model (AFEM): a comprehensive cutting-edge calculation tool for operators and shippers. It combines regulatory reporting, emissions reduction strategies, and TCO analysis. Using telematics data, AFEM calculates energy consumption, emissions and costs for both past and future trips, factoring in eco-driving efficiency, payload and vehicle parameters.
The next IRU Green Compact roundtable will take place in Q1 2026. Contact us to learn more.
About the IRU Green Compact
The Green Compact is the commercial road transport industry’s collective commitment and plan to decarbonise by 2050.
The Green Compact is grounded in a scientific, evidence-based approach – applied to the analysis of transport operations, the investigation of decarbonisation levers, and the forecasting of market potential – with a focus on economic sustainability.
