by Walther Ploos van Amstel
As appointed in the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, cities and regions in EU member countries start accompanying their circular economy strategies by monitoring frameworks, often called Circular Economy Monitors (CEM). CEMs need to rely on many statistics and datasets to assess performance towards achieving set targets and steer decision-making. Waste statistics play an essential role in …
Globalization, urbanization, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic have raised the demand for logistic activities. This change is affecting the entire supply chain, especially the last-mile step. This step is considered the most expensive and ineffective part of the supply chain and a source of negative economic, environmental, and social externalities. A publication by Portuguese researchers …
Alternative solutions for sustainable last-mile parcel deliveries have been piloted and partially implemented in Europe in the past decade. However, these delivery concepts have mainly been considered in inner-city areas. There are a few examples of applying these concepts in peripheral urban areas, where new housing is being built to accommodate high population pressure. However, …
The advancement of new technologies and the increasingly inseparable presence of logistics systems in the daily life of cities, industries, companies, and society has been modifying how logistics processes are implemented in these environments based on technological innovations, internet, virtual businesses, mobility, and the use of multi-channel distribution. Together with these changes, urban centers have …
Road transport is an enabler for economic and social life and one of the key sectors of the EU, corresponding to at least 5% of the European Gross Value Added and employing around 10.3 million people. Today, approximately 73 % of the total EU population lives in cities, towns, and suburbs, and the urban population’s …
Analysis suggests that if delivery companies switched to using cargo bikes instead of diesel vans for first and last-mile deliveries, it would save the UK NHS and other Government services more than £4 billion. The cost savings, claimed by cargo bike delivery firm Pedal and Post and researchers at Just Economics, are derived from reduced …
The logistics sector must be net zero by 2050. But all measures proposed will create an uneven playing field with selective access to logistics capabilities, people, money, data, and energy. So how will transport companies survive? I was asked to lecture on sustainability for a group of CEOs from European transport companies. I hyperventilated. What …