2024 to be the year of the Sustainable Supply Chain

Australia’s largest logistics event is rebranding to reflect the industry’s shift towards sustainability.

The year 2024 will see the logistics industry make its most significant shift to date towards sustainability, with investments in this space set to skyrocket, according to MEGATRANS Show Director Lauren Chartres.

“The sustainable supply chain is going to be the top focus in the new year,” says Chartres, who oversees MEGATRANS, Australia’s largest logistics event taking place in Melbourne in September 2024.

“The past few years have been about securing supply chains at any cost, after they were disrupted by the pandemic. Now that supply chains have settled, and stock levels risen, major logistics companies are telling us that they are looking to invest in sustainability.”

It’s an investment, Chartres says, that is being supported by the Federal Government’s most recent budget that provided more than $4.5 billion in climate-related spending. This includes $20.9 million over five years to decarbonise transport and infrastructure.

The freight transport sector currently contributes to 46 per cent of emissions nationally, and transporting people and goods around Australia is predicted to be country’s largest source of emissions by 2030.

Challenges of sustainability, Chartres points are, are not just around environmental factors. She notes that the logistics industry is still struggling to secure and diversify its workforce. For this reason the show will feature a jobs fair component, with a $1 million marketing campaign to help attract new talent into the industry.

“We need to start building up the next generation of the logistics industry now,” says Chartres. “And it needs to be reflective of this generation so the industry can mirror its values and set itself up for the future.”

The show will similarly offer solutions for companies investing in traceability, as well as cold chain solutions, areas that are so vital for a sustainable supply chain at every level.

Chartres and the team at MEGATRANS are supporting the industry’s sustainable priorities by focusing the entire conference and expo on the long-term sustainable supply chain.