Zero-Emission Delivery Zones: Decarbonizing Urban Freight and Goods Delivery in U.S. Cities

This working paper examines zero-emission delivery zones (ZEDZs)—areas restricting unrestricted access to zero-emission delivery vehicles—as a tool to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of urban freight in U.S. and Netherlands cities.

• Urban freight and delivery growth leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, noise, and air pollution, with these negative effects disproportionately impacting minority and low-income communities.
• Research into ZEDZs in the Netherlands and the U.S. indicates that these zones vary based on policy landscapes and local market activity, and that current implementation is lacking in the neighborhoods most negatively affected by freight activity.
• To ensure ZEDZs are equitable and effective, the paper recommends that cities prioritize equity throughout the process, engage stakeholders frequently, adopt a stepwise implementation approach, provide supportive policies, and seek federal and state policy reform.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Zero-Emission Delivery Zones: Decarbonizing Urban Freight and Goods Delivery in U.S. Cities. https://www.wri.org/research/zero-emission-delivery-zones-us-cities

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Zero-Emission Delivery Zones: Decarbonizing Urban Freight and Goods Delivery in U.S. Cities. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/zero-emission-delivery-zones-us-cities.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Zero-Emission Delivery Zones: Decarbonizing Urban Freight and Goods Delivery in U.S. Cities |url=https://www.wri.org/research/zero-emission-delivery-zones-us-cities |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendzeroemission, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Zero-Emission Delivery Zones: Decarbonizing Urban Freight and Goods Delivery in U.S. Cities}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/zero-emission-delivery-zones-us-cities}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }