Strong European tailwinds for sustainable last mile deliveries
STRONG EUROPEAN TAILWINDS FOR SUSTAINABLE LAST MILE DELIVERIES
On May 18-20 2022, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) arranged the International Transport Forum's Annual Summit in Leipzig, Germany, inviting over 1,400 experts, trade organisation representatives and policymakers, including over 100 ministers representing over 60 countries, to discuss transport for inclusive societies.
Urb-it was the sole logistics company invited to participate in the discussions in how to solve sustainable logistics in cities, with Urb-it's CEO Kevin Kviblad joining a panel of experts to share his insights. In the panel he highlighted the need to design and implement policies creating incentives and conditions for logistics companies to integrate genuine solutions to the challenges faced in cities today - including cargo bikes in their delivery chains - and the beneficial effects of doing so.
Urban deliveries are a key issue for cities facing increased urbanisation and higher demand for e-commerce goods. Urban deliveries, and the transport sector as a whole, is a significant contributor the high levels of congestion, air and noise pollution in cities. In London alone, the space occupied by vans in the city is estimated to cover just under twice the size of Hyde Park, when parked. The logistics sector also negatively impacts road safety, with delivery vans being unproportionally represented in road accidents with cyclists and pedestrians[1].
Urb-it has a vision to transform urban deliveries, one delivery at a time, and has an important role to play in solving the issues created by urban logistics. In order to engender meaningful change, the company encourages policymakers to consider a sustainable framework for urban last mile deliveries to address the issues that cities across Europe are facing. This includes considerations regarding:
- Transparency pertaining to the negative implications that 'free returns' and 're-deliveries' creates for cities, e-commerce and delivery companies;
- Accelerating positive change through reducing the number of delivery vehicles or operators in city centres, and creating incentives for integrating e-cargo bikes in the delivery chain and for logistics companies to purchase e-cargo bikes for delivery purposes; and
- Addressing the issue that while electric vehicles partially reduce emissions, they do not address congestion challenges.
Kevin Kviblad, CEO of Urb-it, comments:
"We at Urb-it are proud to be a part of the solution to the problem that policymakers and our customers alike face with regards to sustainability in the last-mile. While our industry has partially decreased emissions through using electric delivery vans, the fundamental issue of the use of delivery vans remains. Through sheer size, the conventional man-in-a-van model operated in last-mile deliveries creates unsustainable levels of congestion and air pollution in cities across Europe. E-commerce delivery volumes continue to grow at pace - it's time for more action to be taken to address the fundamental issues in cities.
"I am encouraged by the discussion we have been engaging in with policymakers and other key stakeholders regarding the benefits of using e-cargo bikes for last-mile deliveries. There is an understanding that we must act now, and I look forward to Urb-it continuing to contribute to future-proofing our cities, in partnership with policymakers and customers."
[1] Car Free Megacities: The Promise of Low Carbon Freight, p12-14
For further information please contact:
Urb-it Press Office [email protected]
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About Urb-it AB (publ) | B Corp certified
Urb-it is a rapidly growing sustainable logistics platform with a vision to transform urban logistics, one delivery at a time. We deliver urban logistics services that create a positive impact on society and the environment. We partner with brands to deliver the last mile sustainably and efficiently in urban areas across Europe.
Our customer-centric last mile delivery services are conducted by our couriers on foot, bike, and our e-cargo fleet. This reduces noise pollution, air pollution and congestion - creating healthier cities.
We are a B Corp certified business, meaning we meet and have committed to the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance. We are currently operating in urban areas in Europe's largest e-commerce markets - France, the UK and Spain. Our ambition is to expand into other major e-commerce markets across Europe in the coming years.
In 2022, Urb-it won Best Supply Chain Solution Award at The Retail Supply Chain & Logistics Expo.
Founded in 2014, Urb-it is a Swedish entrepreneurial company headquartered in Stockholm and listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market. Find out more at urb-it.com.
