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~ DSV ~

WINNING AT

E-COMMERCE

WITH A SUSTAINABLE

SUPPLY CHAIN

Text: Polly Davis // Photos: DSV
“Sustainable,” “Eco-friendly,” “Fair trade” – these are just some of the labels advertising

the sustainable credentials of products. But how about the supply chain? If you want to be
successful with sustainable e-commerce, you need to apply the same focus on sustainability
to your supply chain as you do to your products.

o do this, DSV Business Development methods, like rail and road that still offer flexibility in pricing
Director, Ecom & Omnichannel, Wouter and transit times.
TNederkoorn sees a clear need to consider all
parts of the supply chain. “It’s not enough to use a Alongside supporting customers in making the best choices
bike courier for the last mile if all your inventory for their supply chain, DSV is taking steps to pioneer
is flown in by polluting aircraft. From inbound to climate-neutral transport. For example, DSV is working with
warehousing to last mile delivery, you need to look two production companies in the agricultural sector, Arla, and
at all the ways you can cut carbon and take a holistic Danish Crown, to develop a new climate-neutral transport
approach.” corridor to transport food from Denmark to the UK by 2030.
Using electric trucks, electric refrigerated trailers and greener
In February of this year, Netcomm, the Italian digital fuels, this project will lead the way in the green transition
commerce consortium and Politecnico of Milan made of the food industry with transport that doesn’t impact the
headlines with a new study claiming the environmental environment.
impact of online shopping can be up to 75 percent less than
in-store shopping. While this report has been accused of The value of sustainability in warehousing
oversimplification, it has undoubtedly raised awareness of Warehousing is another part of the e-commerce supply chain
the sustainability benefits of well-managed e-commerce, where you can cut carbon. DSV has already invested heavily
including the supply chain. in switching to renewable power at its warehouse sites.
Recently, in the new Landskrona warehouses in Sweden, solar
Reducing inbound emissions panels were installed that can generate enough energy to
When it comes to the inbound part of the e-commerce supply power around 1,400 houses. These panels provide power for
chain, transport is the biggest contributor to the carbon the warehouses and their on-site electric vehicles and send
footprint. To combat these emissions, you need to find the surplus power back into the local electricity grid.
transport routes and methods with the least environmental
impact. And this is where working with a global transport Supply chain sustainability is also improved by the location
provider, such as DSV, can help. Drawing on its extensive of the warehouse: the closer your warehouse is to your
international network, DSV can support businesses to switch customers, the more you can reduce emissions and cost of
out highly emitting flights with lower carbon transport cross-border transport. That’s why, DSV has established a

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