Impact of French governmental policies to reduce freight transportation CO2 emissions on small-and medium-sized companies

This article explores the responses of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to mandatory and voluntary policies introduced by the French government to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated by freight transportation. The behaviour of small and medium-sized enterprises regarding the deployment of freight environmental programmes has seldom been studied to-date while remaining relevant in supporting and enhancing governmental policies. In-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with 14 companies (shippers and carriers) throughout France provide clear insights and enhanced understanding of small and medium-sized enterprises' attitudes, as well as demonstrating the extent to which they are willing to pursue transportation sustainability and adopt methods to measure and reduce their transportation-related carbon dioxide emissions. The results suggest that most small and medium-sized enterprises, driven by internal initiatives and customers' expectations, are adopting sustainable strategies, with various measures being implemented to achieve a greener supply chain. However, an accurate, standardised method for measuring transportation carbon dioxide emissions is still lacking and does not appear to be a priority requirement demanded by shippers. Carriers also appear more inclined to participate in voluntary rather than mandatory programmes, suggesting that legal requirements have little impact on the firms in this sample, as far as carbon dioxide emissions are concerned. This paper is original in its research area since the existing literature on freight transportation programmes provides findings predominantly from large companies. Our study contributes to the intersection of green freight transportation and governmental programmes application, especially from small- and medium-sized shippers and carriers points of view.