The growth of e-commerce has reshaped retail and city streets. Today, more than 20% of global retail sales happen online, a trend that shows no sign of slowing. This has brought undeniable convenience to consumers and economic gains for retailers and logistics providers. However, it has also led to a surge in delivery vehicles on urban roads, contributing to congestion, increased carbon emissions, and heightened safety risks.
Without intervention, the situation could worsen. If current trends continue, emissions from parcel deliveries are expected to rise by 60% by 2030, with some cities facing up to 80% more delivery vans (for parcels, accounting for 10% of city logistics!) during the same period. While many consumers say they want greener deliveries, fewer than 30% are willing to pay more for them. This creates a growing mismatch between sustainability goals and market behavior.
Forecasting models based on six urban typologies highlight a clear trend: rising delivery volumes will increase congestion, noise pollution, and road safety concerns. To counter this, cities and the logistics sector must rethink how deliveries are organized and how public space is used.
The transition to zero-emission delivery fleets and smarter use of infrastructure is urgent—and achievable. Cities are already beginning to introduce incentives for clean deliveries and are looking to optimize curbside space. At the same time, logistics companies are piloting new delivery models and technologies to cut emissions and boost efficiency.
This transformation requires collaboration across the board. Based on best practices, the report recommends:
For Cities and Public Authorities:
- Embed sustainable logistics into urban strategies through Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans (SULPs).
- Standardize rules and frameworks that govern how logistics operators interact with public space.
- Partner with private stakeholders to create incentives for zero-emission and shared solutions.
For the Logistics Sector:
- Invest in efficient operating models, such as PUDO (pick-up/drop-off) networks and shared delivery systems.
- Accelerate the rollout of electric delivery vehicles with scalable finance and deployment plans.
- Give consumers insight into the impact of their delivery choices and offer greener alternatives.
Working Together:
- Develop shared infrastructure, such as microhubs, parcel lockers, and electric fleet charging points.
- Share operational data to optimize logistics flows across the ecosystem.
- Build partnerships that support experimentation and long-term innovation.
Only by working together, across city halls, warehouses, and doorsteps, can we create a last-mile system that is clean, efficient, and future-proof.
Source: WEF
Also read: Moving from zero-emission to zero-impact city logistics