News • 04.02.2022

Cross-Border Commerce Europe launches blue paper on green supply chains

Leading C-Level executives from global retailers contributed to report

Many tracks with wagons of container trains at a big station in a city...
Source: Andrew Coop/Unsplash

Cross-Border Commerce Europe, the platform driving cross-border e-commerce in Europe, publishes its latest blue paper summarising the learnings of seven knowledge and brainstorming sessions between C-Level executives from leading global retailers making up the Cross-Border Commerce Europe Green Supply Chain High Level Group, including L’Oréal, Kering and Adidas. 

The report, available for purchase on the CBCommerce website, is intentionally provocative to reflect the group’s urgency to stimulate radical innovation and drive tangible improvements to sustainability in the e-commerce industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered profound changes in consumer behaviour, simultaneously causing explosive growth in sales volumes and a capacity squeeze in transport networks and demonstrating how vulnerable e-commerce markets are to external disruptions.

Climate change is at a breaking point. The impact of e-commerce can no longer be dismissed, as transport and logistics account for almost 25% of all European Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. As online consumers expect credible action in this field, new legislation such as the EU ‘Fit for 55’ package will require e-commerce companies to proactively step up and improve the sustainability of their supply chain networks.

The 20-page Green Supply Chain blue paper is the result of seven round table brainstorming sessions gathering eight international C-Level retail executives representing multiple sectors and EU countries, including L’Oréal, Kering, Adidas, BioMérieux, Beachbody, Carrefour, Lego and Nespresso.

The following topics are addressed:

  • Developing a sustainability vision and strategy.
  • Choosing a carbon measurement and reduction framework.
  • Practical steps to improve sustainability.
  • The importance of supply chain collaboration.
  • Stakeholder communication.
  • Recommendations for EU policymakers.
  • Quick sustainability self-assessment.
  • Best practice case studies.

You will find here some initial learnings and takeaways from the report.

  • Companies that want to start their e-commerce sustainability journey can choose from a wide range of opportunities to achieve greener supply chain networks and reduce GHG emissions. Carrefour uses laser measurement systems and advanced calculation algorithms to optimize the mix of heavy and light goods and fill rate in its trucks; L’Oréal uses only 5 box sizes for all its SKUs which have been optimized to avoid the amount of transported air.
  • The EU is putting strict legislation in place to reduce GHG emissions by 55% by 2030 become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Companies will be required to step up or be penalised.
  • Consumers are increasingly sensitive to the environmental impact of e-commerce. As online shoppers expect credible action and communication in this field; Adidas communicates extensively and openly with regard to its sustainability vision and performance.
  • Green Supply chain can only be achieved through more collaboration of all upstream and downstream partners and their logistics service providers. GeoPost/DPDgroup is for example investing heavily in European cities in the electrification of their fleets with the ambition to deliver 225 cities with exclusively low emission vehicles by 2025 reaching 80 million EU inhabitants.
  • Sustainability must become an integral part of the overall business and supply chain strategy. Developing a long term vision and strategy including SMART objectives should be the first step in the sustainability journey. 
Source: Cross-Border Commerce Europe

related articles:

popular articles:

Thumbnail-Photo: Eco-friendly shopping spree: Shop til you drop - thanks to Omnichannel...
11.04.2023   #online trading #sustainability

Eco-friendly shopping spree: Shop 'til you drop - thanks to Omnichannel

Approaches to reconcile climate friendliness and shopping

Around 90.4 billion euros in e-commerce sales in 2022 alone are clear evidence: Germany has long been bitten by the bug of online shopping. But can this trend really be seen as something positive? Is the shipping of parcels still justifiable at all ...

Thumbnail-Photo: GreenPickUp: Smart and sustainable parcel delivery in urban areas...
03.04.2023   #online trading #retail

"GreenPickUp": Smart and sustainable parcel delivery in urban areas

How this new concept with mobile parcel stations, data analysis and algorithms is shaking up the industry

The future of inner-city logistics could become greener and more efficient. "GreenPickUp" aims to develop an intelligent data platform that will optimize the intra-urban flow of goods across all sectors. This is more important today than ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Carton identification: labelling or direct printing...
16.05.2023   #logistics #labels

Carton identification: labelling or direct printing

Read on to learn the differences between box labelling and direct printing methods, which option is more sustainable and the comparable stats to make a better informed decision for your business needs

Cardboard boxes are a prominent feature in the world of logistics, with billions of parcels being shipped worldwide every year. As the e-commerce industry grows, fulfilment service providers are under increasing pressure to pack goods more ...

Thumbnail-Photo: PayU and Prosus champion sustainable packaging solutions in India...
07.06.2023   #e-commerce #sustainability

PayU and Prosus champion sustainable packaging solutions in India

'Scaling Sustainable Packaging Report' takes a comprehensive look at the significant waste management challenges India faces

On World Environment Day, in a transformative move to address the urgent need for sustainable packaging solutions in India's rapidly growing e-commerce sector, PayU, one of the leading online payment service providers in India, and Prosus, the ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Real-time tracking 2.0: How packages no longer go astray...
05.07.2023   #online trading #sustainability

Real-time tracking 2.0: How packages no longer go astray

The importance of customer communication and real-time tracking for the retail sector

"Delivery is 3 stops away" and it still takes an hour? This is not uncommon. Many people align their daily planning with delivery time estimates and still have to deal with disappointment. Simon Seeger, Founder and Managing Director of Bettermile, tells us ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Sustainable supply chain: whats truth, whats lies?...
17.04.2023   #sustainability #logistics

Sustainable supply chain: what's truth, what's lies?

Interview with Philipp Groll from Infor GmbH

He gave a presentation at EuroShop 2023 on "I say sustainability, you say supply chain. Who's lying?" and took himself on a mental journey in the process.We talked to Philipp Groll, Manager Distribution & Fashion at Infor ...