How sustainable is the transformation in road freight?

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the sustainability of the road freight value chain during a period of disruptive technological change. It identifies three primary 'megatrends'—automation, digitalization, and electrification—that are shifting the industry's environmental and social hotspots from vehicle operation to manufacturing and labor dynamics.

• Road freight contributes approximately 5% of global CO2 emissions, with about 90% of a truck's total life cycle greenhouse gas emissions typically resulting from the use of fossil fuels for propulsion.
• The transition to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) shifts environmental sustainability hotspots from the operational phase to the manufacturing phase, specifically increasing the need for minerals and the associated risks in extraction and processing.
• While BEVs reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution, they may increase air pollution caused by the wear and tear of roads and tyres due to their higher weight compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
• Digitalization in road freight is enabling new mobility services and route optimization to reduce costs and emissions, but it creates risks for drivers—approximately three million in the EU—regarding employment agreements and potential exploitation in the 'gig economy'.
• Vehicle automation, categorized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) from level 0 to 5, offers potential for improved road safety by reducing human error and could alleviate driver shortages in the US and EU, though it may eventually disrupt employment.
• The convergence of electrification, automation, and digitalization is expected to lower operational costs, which may lead to unintended consequences such as increased road congestion and accelerated road wear and tear.

APA

Olsson, O., Gong, J., Nykvist, B., & Xylia, M. (2023). How sustainable is the transformation in road freight? Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/sei-brief-road-freight-gong-30-jan-2023.pdf

Chicago

Olsson, Olle, Jindan Gong, Björn Nykvist, and Maria Xylia. How sustainable is the transformation in road freight? Stockholm Environment Institute, 2023. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/sei-brief-road-freight-gong-30-jan-2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Olsson |first1=Olle |last2=Gong |first2=Jindan |last3=Nykvist |first3=Björn |last4=Xylia |first4=Maria |title=How sustainable is the transformation in road freight? |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=January 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/sei-brief-road-freight-gong-30-jan-2023.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{olsson2023how, author = {Olsson, Olle and Gong, Jindan and Nykvist, Björn and Xylia, Maria}, title = {{How sustainable is the transformation in road freight?}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/sei-brief-road-freight-gong-30-jan-2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }