The three quarters of EU consumers who shop online have come to expect fast, low cost and flexible delivery of their purchases. But these high expectations, encouraged by online retailer promises come at a significant environmental cost.

The final leg of a product’s journey from the retailer to a customer’s front door called the ‘last mile delivery’ is often the most environmentally damaging part.

This stage generates the highest proportion of vehicle emissions because of traffic congestion, inefficient vehicle loading and spread out drop‑off points.

Plenty of retailers and logistics providers want to minimise this environmental impact. At the same time, while consumers have got used to fast (sometimes even free) online deliveries they also consistently report their pro-sustainability intentions.

CodeZERO: testing zero-emission delivery and return solution

The CodeZERO initiative  wants to address this disconnection and find zero-emission last-mile delivery and return solutions for e-commerce that are appealing and easy for consumers to use. 

• Over three years, CodeZERO which is part of the CIVITAS Initiative will innovate and test which are the best solutions to influence consumer behaviour to choose more sustainable online delivery options in four pilot sites: Antwerp, Milan, Oslo and Utrecht.
• The pilot in Oslo trialled reducing congestion in the city by creating pick up points for IKEA furniture, using small vans parked up in designated areas in specific time slots. This resulted in a significant reduction of the distance travelled by these vans across the city.  
• In Antwerp, a pilot by Stad Antwerpen, bpost and TORFS is expanding the network of parcel lockers and more click & collect points, backed up by a communications drive to raise awareness of the new options and the environmental benefits, and detailed evaluation.

Underpinning these innovations is consumer insight and strategic advice from Euroconsumers’ Testachats/Testaankoop who are advising the CodeZERO consortium on how best to understand consumer habits and the motivations behind why people do or don’t opt for sustainable last-mile delivery. 

Consumer choices in last-mile delivery

Consumer behaviour is a critical component of last-mile delivery operations.  The more people who opt for parcel lockers, community pick up hubs or flexible delivery times, the more emissions are saved. 

Yet despite awareness and good intentions, sustainable delivery choices aren’t being widely adopted. 

So research with consumers from 10 different countries by VUB Brussels University Mobilise centre set out to better understand online shoppers’ behaviour to help design last-mile delivery options that empower consumers to make the sustainable choice. 

The consumer survey and behavioural study analysed people’s preferences around delivery speed, delivery partner, price, ethics, location and packaging. It revealed:

• • Four distinct consumer segments, ranging from those with little awareness or interest in sustainable options to those highly motivated to choose sustainable delivery. Each group showed distinct preferences, underscoring the need for targeted interventions.
• • Currently, customers receive limited information from retailers about the environmental impacts of their delivery choices.
• • Delivery price is the most influential factor in choosing a delivery method, though ethical and convenience-related attributes also matter – especially when they don’t compromise ease or cost.
• • Consumers were more responsive to information about the local benefits of delivery options than to abstract figures on emission savings

Moving towards the zero-emission last mile

Testachats/Testankoop will continue to advise and support the consortium as it develops more pilots including one in Milan run by the social organization SoDe. 

Meanwhile, you can find out more about the project and register now for the Civitas Forum conference — a gathering of cities, policymakers, practitioners, researchers and innovators who are shaping the future of sustainable urban mobility.

Explore the details and sign up here: CIVITAS Forum 2026 

CodeZERO is a project under the CIVITAS Initiative, funded by the HorizonEurope programme.