Sustainability in the supply chain E-commerce & reduction GEE

Reaching climate neutrality until 2050 is a large challenge to Europe. A commitment that includes government, society, and enterprises.

A substantial number of companies are aligning their internal policies to the goals defined by the European Green Deal, balancing, according to this, their efficiency, productivity, and sustainability.

One of the most prominent measures is related to the replacement of combustion-powered engines with electric-powered engines, thus having a direct impact on the neutralization of CO2 emissions. Besides that, when we talk about reducing CO2 emissions, we can’t forget about E-Commerce, especially last-mile deliveries. Last-mile deliveries are one of the biggest contributors to global carbon emissions. For supply chain executives, greening the last mile, most importantly, establishing clear sustainability targets is a vital goal.

A prediction states that last-mile deliveries in large urban centers will grow by 78 percent until 2030.

“If nothing is done, the CO2 emissions will raise by 30% in 100 cities around the world”, a study made by World Economic Forum. Furthermore, travels in urban centers will grow to a considerable increase in traffic in large cities. The growth in traffic and CO2 emissions resulting from e-commerce, is already difficult access to big cities, bearing this in mind, it’s urgent to minimize this pressure and decrease the effects. To reach this, it’s absolutely necessary actions made by the government, citizens, and companies.

The growing trend to access large centers is also fed by the increase in urbanization – with a prediction that 60 percent of the population will live in cities by 2030. The levels of deliveries that grow more in the last mile are immediate deliveries or deliveries on the same day.

“It is necessary to provide better infrastructures to the large urban centers, either at the level of transport, consolidation centers, availability of charging terminals, and clear and cooperative legislation”

But how can we solve the challenges of urban distribution and reduce carbon emissions? The best way to confront these challenges and help the 3 Ps (people, planet, and profit) is assuring a multiplayer approach where every stakeholder works for the common good sake. When every collaborator in the ecosystem, whether public or private collaborators, work together effectively, the CO2 emissions in large centers tend to decrease, having the potential to reduce to 30 percent by 2030. But to reach this potential it is necessary to provide better infrastructures to the large urban centers, either at the level of transport, consolidation centers, availability of charging terminals, and clear and cooperative legislation for access to them, not forgetting what can be done at the immediate level. In terms of urban distribution, a lot can be done immediately, through nocturnal deliveries, the use of lockers, efficient routes and load consolidation, higher visibility at a transport route level, and higher coordination and cooperation between carriers and retailers. Nevertheless, none of this is possible if there’s not a cooperative and conscious consumer, that is willing to abdicate his individual convenience  for the benefit of the planet.