2022 IEEE ITSS Presidential Prize for Sustainability in Transportation
In April 2022, the IEEE ITSS Presidential Prize for Sustainability in Transportation was created to recognize the worldwide sustainable innovative approaches and efforts that contribute to accelerating climate-neutral transport. As a pioneer in the recognition and promotion of technologies toward sustainable transport, IEEE ITSS will use this prize to contribute towards increasing awareness of a prompt reduction of greenhouse emissions.
The first edition of this prize has been awarded to the the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight (SRF) at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, represented by Prof. David Cebon “for their multinational, multistakeholder, multidisciplinary, high-impact research into decarbonizing road-freight.”
The Centre for Sustainable Road Freight brings together leading UK academic institutions with vehicle manufacturers, freight operators, and government partners. It focuses on researching innovative solutions to sustainability challenges facing road freight by optimizing vehicle technologies in parallel with logistics operations. Key recent contributions to accelerating climate-neutral transport are:
- Developing an extensive research program into: (i) vehicle decarbonization technologies including: aerodynamic improvements, light-weighting, low rolling-resistance tires, dual-fuel technologies, long combination vehicles, urban delivery, eco-driving, heavy vehicle
electrification, refrigeration; (ii) logistics efficiency measures including: horizontal collaboration, co-loading and consolidation, last mile solutions, fleet and depot electrification, vaccine distribution and cold-chain logistics in developing countries. - Developing a range of tools and technologies to help operators decarbonize their vehicle fleets: ‘SRF Optimizer’ – online guidance to fleet decarbonization strategies; ‘SRF Logger’ – Android App
for logging vehicle performance data in-service; Coasting Advisor – Android App advisor for ecodriving; Fleet electrification dashboard – for designing fleets and depot charging systems. - Extending policy advice: Extensive evidence on road freight decarbonization for policymakers.
- Building a global network of research centers concerned with sustainable road freight: in India, China, and Africa. These centers collaborate to develop knowledge and strategic interventions
to support global road freight decarbonization.
The results and impact of the four programs listed above are summarized here, whereas a list of corresponding publications can be found here.
The Centre for Sustainable Road Freight (SRF) will receive a $6,000 research grant from the IEEE ITS Society to use in the continuation of their research.