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10 July 2023- 3 minutes
The environmental issue of logistics
Sustainable development has become a major issue in the last few years, but with the constant increase in supplies and flows of goods, roads are being used more than ever !
Traditional logistics, essential but polluting
Logistics has become inevitable for transporting products in record time, but this solution is very polluting. Responsible for 25% of CO² emissions according to the European Environment Agency, exchanges are abundant and require even more transport to deliver products to customers, who may be on the other side of the world. That’s why several measures have been taken to limit CO² emissions and the fine particles that can cause major damage.
Green delivery - a step in the right direction for the environment
Green delivery is a way of combating these fine particles, which are carcinogenic, dangerous to humans and toxic to the ecosystem. This is a sustainable delivery method that aims to reduce the environmental impact of logistics activities by using more environmentally friendly transport and delivery methods. This involves the use of clean, energy efficient means of transport, such as electric vehicles, bicycles, etc, or else resort to longer transport called “slow delivery” for deliveries that take the environment into account.
OUR DUTY FOR THE FUTURE
The " Slow delivery ", a longer process for responsible logistics
What exactly is slow delivery? This is a sustainable delivery method which consists in delivering parcels at a slower speed and with reduced frequency in order to reduce the environmental impact of logistics activities. The product will take longer to reach the consumer, but this will reduce the number of underloaded lorries and so the amount of transport in general. Limiting deliveries will also reduce costs. This may cause an inconvenience for the customer who wants to obtain his product quickly, but it’s an inconvenience which we are prepared to accept to match to our principles.
What are the current limits to green delivery?
It should be noted that transport companies are still largely dependent on fuel. It should be noted that transport companies are still largely dependent on fuel. Despite a growing awareness on their part, investment in green delivery remains high. We have chosen to highlight some of the obstacles to its implementation :
Firstly, carbon-free vehicles are still limited in terms of range and storage capacity. Electric heavy goods vehicles can currently only cover limited distances, making them unsuitable for certain types of delivery. This is a constraint that shouldn’t be underestimated, especially when we consider that the last mile represents on average 41% of the total cost of the supply chain for home delivery, according to a study by the CapGemini Research Institute.
In addition, the cost of these vehicles is still high for companies wishing to invest in a new fleet of vehicles with low-carbon propulsion.
Infrastructure for recharging and distributing renewable energy, such as natural gas filling stations, is still insufficient. They are still being developed, as is the supply of this type of cleaner vehicle.
How can we encourage organizations to change their habits?
Secondly, companies’ desire to limit their carbon footprint is not sufficient to cooperate on green delivery. It is important for the players in the supply chain to collaborate.
The government has already encouraged companies to adopt alternatives to polluting vehicles with new regulations, the introduction of Low Emission Zones, financial aid and urban logistics charters, but we need to raise awareness and educate consumers about the importance of green delivery.
Consumers’ purchasing decisions have an impact on logistics and the environment. Choosing locally produced products, for example, has an impact on the distance travelled by products.
Thirdly, urban sprawl is a current phenomenon that is not conducive to green delivery. It leads to an increase in car journeys, and so contributes to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
What about grouped delivery?
Finally, grouped delivery is an interesting solution for reducing the number of lorries on the road. This involves grouping several orders together in a single shipment. However, this practice has its limits, and for voluminous or fragile products, it is preferable to choose an appropriate delivery solution.
Then we can ask ourselves the question :
Is green delivery enough ?
Isn’t it already too late to develop low-carbon vehicles ? Are they already insufficient to counter this linear model ?
