On September 12, 2011, staff proposed additional modifications to the regulatory text in the Second Notice of Public Availability of Modified Text and Additional Documents and Information (Second 15-Day Change Notice). These modifications addressed comments ARB staff received in the first 15-day Change Notice and are the result of additional staff analysis and stakeholder engagement. The public comment period for the 2nd 15-Day Change Notice ended September 27, 2011.

On October 20, 2011, the Board adopted the final cap-and-trade regulation. As part of finalizing the regulation, the Board considered the related environmental analysis (i.e. functional equivalent document) and written responses to environmental comments. The Board also approved the adaptive management plan. The final regulation must be filed with the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) by October 28, 2011.

The final rulemaking package will include the Final Statement of Reasons (FSOR). In the FSOR, staff will respond to comments received on the record during the initial 45-day comment period, comments presented at the December 16, 2010 Board hearing both orally and in writing, comments received during the first 15-day Change Notice and the second 15-day Change Notice. The Administrative Procedure Act only requires that staff respond to changes that are noticed. Once final, those documents will be posted on the rulemaking web page.”

See the California Environmental Protection Agency: Air Resources Board website for more details and resources.

As well, logistics technology continues to become more complex and costly with advanced systems and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and the need for collaborative supply chain initiatives across company borders increase, third party logistics becomes an even more attractive alternative. In order to better serve this multi-billion dollar industry and the customers of third party logistics providers, Supply Chain Network has established a new Linked In group dedicated to this important and rapidly growing industry, which you can join here Third Party Logistics @ Linked In.

Current consumer products supply chains from manufacturing through to retail include many, many layers of distribution. Each of these layers adds cost and inventory to the overall supply chain system and even more cost is added because these supply chains are for the most part managed independently which does not allow for the capture of the potential collaborative logistics synergy benefits that exist in all supply chains.

To learn more about these logistics synergy benefits, feel free to review our previous SCN article entitled The Logistics Synergy Revolution which describes the three logistics synergy indicators (LSIs) of Overlap, Offset and Readiness which can then be tapped into by utilizing the logistics synergy facilitators of Collaboration and Synchronization resulting in positive Critical Mass Outcomes and Fixed Asset / Services Sharing arrangements.

All of the above can be simplified into direct logistics cost savings opportunities which will drop right to the bottom line of companies who take the time to properly investigate and work with Third Party Logistics companies which understand and are reconfiguring the consumer products supply chains to capture these benefits.

Supply Chain Network Top Ten Search Terms – Q4 2008

edi software

spend management

distribution software

supply chain software

security network

manufacturing software

software management

corporate performance management

inventory management

vendor managed inventory

Interesting to note that half of these terms include software which even further highlights the importance of systems and software in the building of today’s supply chain networks!

Jeff Ashcroft

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To me these projects have always just made sense as often these reductions in energy utilization both save expense dollars at the same time as helping the environment representing win-win solutions.

In other parts of the world carbon measurement and cap & trade systems are emerging and it now appears, especially in Canada, that sooner or later this will also become a reality in North American markets.

Once this occurs, the win-win situation described above becomes win-win-win as the credits for carbon emission savings generated by such projects and methods will become a marketable commodity in addition to your expense savings and goodwill environmental achievements.

Most recently, the amount of information on new methods, opportunities, programs and projects relating to green logistics initiatives has become overwhelming and weekly I find myself conflicted over covering these developments or the other important ongoing stories in logistics and supply chain management in the SCN Newsbrief.

My solution in this case is to introduce Green Supply Chain Network which will cover topics relating to green logistics in three main categories being Alternative Transport Modes & Fuels, Green Buildings & Operations and RFID & Technology Solutions.

Commencing next week, Green Supply Chain Network will debut and run alternate weeks with SCN Newsbrief with new sections added to the SCN website supporting the three main topic areas defined above.

Launching Green Supply Chain Network is an exciting initiative and we feel that it will both focus additional attention on these emerging environmental opportunities, at the same time as improving SCN Newsbrief.

Jeff Ashcroft

The LEED program’s point-based rating system was developed in 1999 to encourage the development of sustainable buildings with low environmental impact.

Adhering to the LEED program required considerable planning upfront, says Joyce, but the actual construction was not particularly hard. REI earned points for using FSC-certified wood, hosting an on-site concrete mixing plant (rather than burning fuel to truck in the heavy concrete) and running construction equipment on bio-diesel—all things Joyce characterizes as “really easy.”
A green distribution center: easier than you think