World Economic Forum: The Future of the Last-Mile Ecosystem

Fueled by a multitude of factors: technological advancements and rapid urbanization, e-commerce sales ratios have nearly tripled globally between 2014 and 2019. There has never been a time of greater change for the “last mile”. Consumers order more things online, expecting more control and faster deliveries. This desire is currently satisfied by an increasing number of delivery vehicles, with an estimated 36% increase in these vehicles among the top 100 global cities by 2030. Consequently, emissions from delivery traffic will increase by 32% and congestion will rise by over 21%, equaling an additional 11 minutes of commute time for each passenger every day.

This report presents an integrated perspective on the future of the last-mile delivery ecosystem, which was developed jointly by the World Economic Forum, McKinsey & Company, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), LeasePlan and more than 20 public- and private-sector partners who contributed related data, expertise and case studies. The report calls for immediate action and recommends how cities and companies can implement effective transitions within the next one to three years.

Full report:

Transition Roadmaps for Public- and Private-Sector Players (Jan 2020)