Nelt Group, a Serbia-based logistics and distribution provider, has published its latest sustainability report outlining a long-term strategy focused on intermodal transport and renewable energy. The company said the move comes as European businesses face pressure tied to ESG reporting requirements, decarbonization targets and changing customer expectations. Transport is described as a major source of greenhouse-gas emissions across supply chains, affecting how goods move between manufacturers, ports and end markets.
“Ascend 2030” strategy links logistics efficiency with energy transition
In the report, Nelt places its sustainability priorities within its “Ascend 2030” strategy. The company said the plan emphasizes operational efficiency, sustainable logistics and investments in energy transition technologies. It also stated that competitiveness will depend on reducing environmental impacts while maintaining service reliability.
A key element of the strategy is an expansion of intermodal transportation. Nelt reported that over the past two years it moved more than 115,000 TEU by rail between major European ports and inland logistics hubs. The company said this avoided more than 36,000 tonnes of CO₂ compared with traditional road transport alternatives.
Intermodal freight and energy projects across operations
Nelt said the reported rail volumes reflect a wider shift in Europe toward rail-based logistics. The company linked growing adoption to factors including fuel volatility, driver shortages, border congestion and tightening emissions regulations. It described maritime shipping combined with rail corridors and final-mile trucking as a model used by large distribution networks seeking resilience and lower carbon footprints.
The sustainability report also details investments aimed at energy transition. Nelt said it continues to expand projects including solar generation, heat-pump systems and geothermal energy solutions across its operations. The company stated these initiatives are intended to reduce exposure to energy-price volatility while lowering operational emissions.
Partnerships, stakeholders and reporting standards
Nelt’s report highlights a three-year partnership with UNICEF worth $1.3 million. The initiative is described as supporting education and developing digital and green skills for young people in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Angola.
The report’s release was accompanied by discussion on intermodal logistics involving representatives from Maersk, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Transport Community and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. Participants said cooperation among logistics providers, infrastructure operators, financial institutions and governments is needed to build more resilient regional supply chains.
ESG disclosures under GRI framework used since 2014
Nelt said its sustainability disclosures follow internationally recognized Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. The company stated it has used the framework since 2014, while its manufacturing subsidiaries Baby Food Factory and Neoplanta adopted similar reporting practices more recently.
The report also describes ESG reporting as evolving within Serbia from compliance toward a tool influencing investment decisions, financing conditions and customer relationships. It further links supply-chain decarbonization efforts in the Western Balkans to integration into European industrial and consumer markets through intermodal transport corridors and renewable energy deployment.
Nelt’s sustainability update concludes that future logistics in Southeast Europe will rely on rail corridors, renewable energy assets and digital infrastructure alongside lower-carbon supply chains. The company said these elements are intended to align with expectations from customers, regulators and international investors as carbon reporting requirements expand.
