Understanding the Challenges Facing Decarbonization in the E-Commerce Logistics Sector in Latin America

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the opportunities related to improvement in the decarbonization strategies of the logistics sector, considering the economic, environmental, social, and technological challenges in four Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Uruguay. An original survey of 464 logistics companies involved in e-commerce in these four countries was carried out. From an economic point of view, companies have started to understand that being greener is not just a slogan but can be an opportunity for growth. The social pressure of customers for more sustainable supply chains forces companies to look for alternatives to reduce their environmental footprint. Finally, adding technology makes it possible to measure and monitor parameter indicators and look for alternatives to improve them (such as routing algorithms, electric vehicles, smart lockers, etc.). Decarbonization in the e-commerce logistics sector in Latin American countries still has room for improvement (for example, using metrics and electric vehicles) to match the levels of companies with similar characteristics in European, Asian, or North American countries.