The main e-commerce companies are on their way to emitting the equivalent of CO2 emitted by 44 thermal power plants each year into the atmosphere., according to a study that concluded that Amazon and four other giants in the industry still depend on fossil fuels to deliver their packages. In this way online shopping they are still a great enemy of the air.
The study, jointly led by the Clean Mobility Collective (CMC) network and research group Stand.earth Research Group (SRG), finds that greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) – the culprits of climate change – if the current growth rate of online purchases is maintained. It will increase exponentially by 2030He also warns that the cases of diseases aggravated by air pollution will increase rapidly.
Amazon logistics, DHL eCommerce Solutions, UPS, FedEx and Geopost, Leading delivery companies linked to online orders are not delivering on their promise to “place zero-emission vehicles. and the research, reflecting the impact of the rise of ‘e-commerce’ on climate and health, avoid disclosing enough data on emissions in the last mile”.
Global delivery volume could double in 7 years
If the current trend continues, Annual global delivery volume could even double and will increase from more than 315,000 million packages in 2022 to 800,000 million a year in 2030, according to research.
Even without taking these growth projections into account, the authors argue that if the composition of the multinational e-commerce fleet remains unchanged, Global shipments will emit up to 160 megatonnes of CO2 each year by 2030, equivalent to the amount emitted by 44 coal-fired power plants.
“This means that more than a billion trees must be planted each year and allowed to grow for ten years. To save pollution caused by carbon emissions from last-mile deliveries,” the researchers say, referring to the last leg of a delivery, it doesn’t necessarily have to be one mile from the distribution warehouse to the delivery location.
Consequences on human health
“Last mile emissions from e-commerce companies Up to 168,000 cases of asthma rise, up to 285,000 respiratory symptoms and up to 9,500 premature deaths”, “The price of convenience: uncovering the hidden effects of the global parcel industry on climate and health,” they reveal in their analysis.
According to 2021 Sustainability Report Less than 7% of all deliveries of this company in Europe are made by electric vehicles, Amazon says. or other modes of clean mobility, they add, the figure has dropped to 1% in the United States, emphasizing that while Amazon has committed to delivering 100,000 electric delivery vans, only about 3,000 are currently in circulation.
They warn that transportation linked to these orders could exacerbate the climate crisis. this sector is “the world’s largest source of new greenhouse gas emissions”It is responsible for 12% of global emissions and 29% of Spanish emissions.
Despite the environmental costs, 76% of consumers believe the returns on their ‘online’ purchase should always be free, according to a survey published by e-commerce logistics platform Packlink at the end of April; last year’s valuation.
Packlink found that across generations, the youngest – they say are often “more aware” of the climate footprint of transport – are the most receptive to paying for returns, while “baby boomers” are the most reluctant.
His report assures that online purchase returns of less than 10% in physical stores can reach 3%.
The full report can be downloaded from: this link.
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