By: Aidan Eure

Fort Collins, Colo. — Distribution is the method of transporting goods and services throughout the world. In today’s economy, goods are transported globally by transportation induing aircraft, intercontinental ships, trucks, and trains. Most of these distribution methods require fossil fuels as a source of fuel which contributes to global warming and resource depletion. 

Distribution becomes even less sustainable when considering outsourcing. Outsourcing is prevalent in countries with few regulations that house cheap labor; this allows companies to build products for cheap worldwide with little to no environmental regulation. 

Outsourcing also becomes more damaging when considering the distance products must travel to end up in the hands of a buyer. The chapter also analyses the impact of large corporations like Amazon, Walmart, and other superstores by looking at their energy consumption, distribution methods, and use of technology. 

During Leonard’s explanation of superstores and online shopping, she argues the pros and cons of shopping online on Amazon v.s. shopping in a store such as Walmart. The results of a research project, Leonard states, “The study found that online shopping was more efficient and sustainable in terms of energy used, conventional air pollutants generated, waste generated, and greenhouse gas emissions.”

With this result, there is evidence that major online shopping giants like Amazon output massive emissions. While Leonard might say shopping online is more sustainable, it is in no way a clean practice in its current form.  

The issue of e-commerce primarily falls into the 34 crises of the environment due to its effect on climate change. Companies like Amazon consistently push carbon emissions into the air by transporting goods, putting products through fulfillment centers, and outsourcing products to different countries. 

The most recent published data on Amazon’s environmental impact has revealed that in 2021 the company generated 71.54 million tons of carbon emissions through external and internal operations. Forbes reported that Amazon was initially reluctant to publish its complete emission report due to its abnormally high carbon rate. 

The total emissions an online store or distributer produces are linked to the rising popularity of online shopping, creating a demand for more sources of transportation and processing. For example, it was expected that Amazon had such a high increase in carbon emissions compared to past years in 2021 due to the pandemic and the danger of shopping in physical stores. 

In a Bloomberg CityLab article, it stated that “It’s estimated that, on average, every person in the U.S. generates demand for roughly 60 tons of freight each year, according to the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board.” 

Many cities have also taken notice of the demand for e-commerce as they are now overrun by delivery vehicles that generate more pollution. Concerns have also been developed when considering that larger trucks are used more for long-distance distribution. 

Trucks are less sustainable than regular cars or smaller delivery vehicles and generate a higher rate of pollutants. In a peer-review article published by Elsevier, a study was conducted that researched the environmental impacts of E-commerce and the distribution methods that come with it. The article revealed that “since the trucks are relatively heavy emitters of NOx (with emissions 10 times those of a passenger car), the concentration of NOx could increase by as much as 24% due to e-commerce unless tailpipe emissions or truck technologies improve.” 

Furthermore, pollution from vehicles is enlarged when considering consolidation methods. The same article additionally looked at the methods of choosing earlier delivery dates for cheaper or more expensive prices stating, “These services lead to lower consolidation levels, and therefore increase freight’s negative externalities.”

Overall, many of the environmental issues with e-commerce are linked to unsustainable distribution methods. While many of these methods are unsustainable, strides have been made to make them cleaner. 

Recently, e-commerce corporations like Amazon have declared a commitment to shift their distribution fleet to electric vehicles and phase out combustion vehicles. Project drawdown looks at electric cars as a sustainable solution to auto travel, stating that “They are about 60 percent efficient compared to gasoline-powered vehicles.” 

A cleaner outcome can be achieved by incorporating electric vehicles into distribution methods. Many companies are already working with electric vehicle companies to build electric trucks. Amazon has been working with Rivian, a new auto-electric company that is said to be developing alternatives to combustion delivery vehicles.

Other companies like Tesla have been putting money into developing electric semi-trucks that will have considerable environmental and performance gains compared to gas-powered trucks. In terms of the time frame to implementing these solutions, a 5-10 year gap should be expected as this is the time most major companies are giving themselves to become carbon neutral. 

Overall, there are solutions to the environmental problems plaguing the e-commerce industry, but many of those solutions are years away from being fully implemented so for the time being the e-commerce industry will remain a major player in climate change. The best thing for people to do right now is to not prioritize next-day shipping and to try and consolidate packages or shop locally to reduce product travel.