Tuesday, November 26th, 2024
The rapid growth of e-commerce has transformed urban logistics, but this convenience comes at a significant cost to cities. Increasing congestion, pollution, and inefficiencies from last-mile deliveries are putting pressure on urban environments and highlighting the urgent need for sustainable solutions. To address these challenges, the recent POLIS – ALICE webinar brought together experts from the public and private sectors to explore innovative practices and foster collaboration for greener e-commerce delivieries.
The webinar, “E-commerce sustainable deliveries and consumer engagement”, featured contributions from business and logistics leaders, city representatives, and two Horizon Europe projects Green Turn and CodeZero. Discussions focused on balancing consumer demands with environmental goals, and highlighted promising innovations.
Growing challenge of e-commerce deliveries
E-commerce is now a cornerstone of modern life, but its impact on cities is undeniable. Delivery vans, for instance, contribute heavily to urban air pollution and congestion, particularly in dense areas. In cities like London, freight accounts for 15% of total vehicle miles but represents a disproportionate share of emissions.
Consumer behaviour plays a key role in shaping these impacts. While home delivery remains the preferred option for most online shoppers, research presented during the webinar a shift in attitudes. A survey conducted by Proximus found that many consumers are willing to accept slightly longer delivery times (D+2 or D+3) for greener options, provided the choice is clearly communicated and incentivised. This finding highlights the potential for rethinking delivery models to prioritise consolidation and reduce environmental impact.
However, achieving sustainable e-commerce logistics requires more than behavioural change. Infrastructure challenges, such as insufficient delivery bays and poorly located parcel lockers, add to the complexity of urban logistics. To be effective, lockers need to be within walking or cycling distance of consumers. Otherwise, driving to collect parcels can negate the environmental benefits.
Innovations leading the way
Speakers shared several strategies and innovations that are already making a difference. IKEA Italy, for example, demonstrated how a combination of electric vans and cargo bikes can be used to change home deliveries. With 24% of its deliveries now zero-emission, the company is aiming for an 80% zero-emission rate by 2025. Cargo bikes in particular have proven to be highly effective in busy city centres such as Milan, where they outperform vans in terms of both speed and environmental impact.
Berlin is addressing logistics inefficiencies through micro depots, where goods are transferred from larger vehicles to smaller, eco-friendly options such as cargo bikes. The city has also developed a data-driven planning approach to strategically place delivery bays and depots, ensuring they are aligned with urban density and shopping patterns.
On a broader scale, collaborative research projects are advancing innovative solutions. The Green Turn project, coordinated by the Poznań Institute of Technology, focuses on co-designing zero-emission e-commerce delivery models, involving cities such as Lyon and Zaragoza in pilot studies. Similarly, the CodeZero initiative, led by TRT Trasporti e Territorio, aims to develop sustainable delivery and return options that balance consumer convenience with environmental sustainability. Pilots in cities such as Milan and Antwerp will test these solutions in a real-world environment.
Role of policy and collaboration
Urban logistics cannot evolve in isolation. Municipalities have a critical role to play in creating policies that encourage sustainable practices, from updating Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans (SULPs) to supporting the installation of parcel lockers in convenient and safe locations. Collaboration between cities, e-commerce platforms, logistics service providers, and researchers is essential to ensure that solutions are both scalable and adaptable to diverse urban contexts.
Behavioural insights also emerged as a powerful tool during the webinar. A study presented by Impact on Urban Health demonstrated how simple changes in online checkout design such as highlighting the environmental benefits of using parcel lockers, can significantly increase consumer adoption of sustainable delivery options.
The discussions highlighted that meaningful progress requires alignment between all stakeholders: logistics providers need to innovate, cities need to prioritise infrastructure and policy support, and consumers need to be empowered to make greener choices.