Abordar la Huella Ambiental del Comercio Electrónico

This research paper by Shamika N. Sirimanne of UN Trade and Development explores the environmental footprint of the rapidly growing e-commerce sector. It analyzes how logistics, packaging, and consumer behavior contribute to carbon emissions and waste, and proposes a multi-stakeholder framework involving governments, the private sector, and international organizations to transition toward a sustainable digital economy.

• E-commerce has seen exponential growth, with the number of online shoppers increasing from under 100 million in 2000 to over 2 billion in 2021. Total sales across 43 developed and developing countries rose from $17 trillion in 2016 to $27 trillion in 2022, representing 60% of global GDP.
• The environmental impact of e-commerce is driven by several operational factors: distribution centers located on city outskirts increase transport distances and energy consumption for climate control; packaging requires more materials than traditional retail, leading to increased plastic waste; and the demand for fast delivery often necessitates carbon-intensive air transport.
• High product return rates create significant environmental burdens, as returned items often travel long distances, sometimes crossing international borders, to be repackaged or discarded.
• Governments can mitigate environmental impacts through urban planning to optimize distribution center locations, implementing regulations for sustainable packaging, and providing fiscal incentives for green technologies like electric delivery vehicles or solar-powered warehouses.
• The private sector can reduce its footprint by optimizing supply chains via data analytics, adopting biodegradable or reusable packaging, and discouraging excessive returns by ending free returns and improving product descriptions.
• Consumer behavior, particularly 'showrooming' and impulsive fragmented shopping, exacerbates environmental damage. While over 90% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers express concern for sustainability, they are often influenced by fast shipping options and a lack of reliable sustainability information.
• International cooperation is necessary to standardize data collection on environmental impacts beyond carbon emissions and to help developing countries integrate sustainable practices into their digital economies.

APA

Sirimanne, S. N. (2024). Abordar la Huella Ambiental del Comercio Electrónico. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/e-commerce-environmental-footprint

Chicago

Sirimanne, Shamika N. Abordar la Huella Ambiental del Comercio Electrónico. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/e-commerce-environmental-footprint.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sirimanne |first1=Shamika N. |title=Abordar la Huella Ambiental del Comercio Electrónico |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=October 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/e-commerce-environmental-footprint |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sirimanne2024abordar, author = {Sirimanne, Shamika N.}, title = {{Abordar la Huella Ambiental del Comercio Electrónico}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/es/articles/policy-analysis/e-commerce-environmental-footprint}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }