GREEN-LOG pilots show strong results for zero-emission urban logistics

GREEN-LOG, a Horizon Europe project focused on achieving zero-emission last-mile logistics, has completed its first series of demonstrations across five European Living Labs: Athens, Barcelona, Flanders, Oxfordshire, and Ispra. These pilots, tailored to the specific urban dynamics of each location, tested a variety of innovative delivery models and technologies aimed at reducing environmental impact while maintaining operational efficiency. 

The initial results show strong potential for greener logistics, with measurable reductions in emissions, delivery distances and time - alongside improved stakeholder engagement.

Local insights from five pilot cities

Each city offered unique contributions:

• Athens: Collaborative deliveries using shared electric vehicles reduced kilometres driven by 35% and cut travel time by over a quarter.
• Barcelona: Trialled the integration of public transport with cargo bikes and tested autonomous delivery robots, demonstrating the feasibility of multimodal and robotic logistics in dense transit hubs.
• Ispra: Combined cargo bikes with autonomous droids for meal delivery. While performance gains were modest, user satisfaction was high.
• Mechelen, Flanders: Showcased a logistics-as-a-service platform that consolidated cargo and cut delivery tours by nearly 50%, also influencing consumer choices through dynamic pricing.
• Oxfordshire: Deployed predictive demand tools and mobile hub solutions, significantly reducing reloading times and improving courier efficiency. The model showed strong potential for parcel consolidation.

All pilots achieved notable emission reductions, with Oxfordshire’s model alone saving over 87kg of CO₂ per day. The initiatives also highlighted the importance of co-creation with local stakeholders, a core principle of the GREEN-LOG methodology. 

Feedback from logistics providers and users was largely positive, with greater awareness of sustainable practices and strong support for future rollouts. 

Building on this success, GREEN-LOG is now preparing for a second round of demonstrations, aimed at refining tools and strategies to further optimise sustainable logistics across Europe's urban areas.

Author: Carla Giaume

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.