Comparing environmental impact of e-commerce and brick & mortar
What: Analysts are weighing the environmental impact of e-commerce compared to going to the store.
Why it is important: So far, brick & mortar remains the most viable option, as shown by the unrealistic hypotheses taken in the “best case” scenario for e-commerce.
There are questions on the actual environmental impact of e-commerce and deliveries, compared to simply driving to the store. While Amazon claimed in 2019 to be more carbon efficient than going to the store, other studies show that the impact of online retail is double compared to brick & mortar.
A more recent study by Generation Investment Management aims at measuring this impact taking into account the latest technologies and improvement in the retail & logistical sectors. The study shows that, according to the hypotheses taken, e-commerce can represent either half of the emissions due to brick & mortar, or 3 times more.
It is telling that the best case for e-commerce taken into account in this study assumes that electric vehicles are used for the last mile, data centres are powered with renewable energy, and products are not shipped in single-use packaging (these conditions are rarely met together so far).
IADS perspective - Carbon counter: delivery van vs shopping trip
Carbon counter delivery van vs shopping trip (Financial times)