The effects of the industry agreement

The Swedish retail landscape is undergoing a transformative shift, resulting in exponential growth in consumer deliveries. E-commerce deliveries have introduced multi-faceted and complex challenges related to environmental, economic, and social aspects – issues that necessitate coordinated efforts to address.

The initiative was launched by Svensk Handel (the Swedish Trade Federation) with support from ASTER. At that time, the industry agreement for fossil-free delivery represented a significant milestone on the journey towards sustainable e-commerce. Since then, ASTER has concluded and been succeeded by Next Generation Commerce (Nästa generations handel), which is now a project portfolio hosted at Lindholmen Science Park.

The purpose of the project was to identify and describe the impact of the industry agreement for fossil-free delivery. By exploring these effects, the project generated vital knowledge that served as a foundation for the further development of the agreement. Numerous interviews were conducted with e-retailers and distributors to map these impacts and establish a solid basis for its ongoing evolution.

Goal

• Compilation of decisions that have been taken by various actors as well as underlying motives and incentives as well as driving forces and barriers to this.

• Analysis of how e-retailers and distribution companies have been affected by and adapted to the agreement regarding new practices and technology as well as knowledge and relationships.

• Increased understanding of the industry agreement's impact with respect to the environment, economy, and social aspects.

• Offer insights and recommendations to further develop the industry agreement based on the actors' challenges and expectations. 

Purpose

The purpose of this project was to identify and describe the effects of the industry agreement for fossil-free delivery. While the industry agreement creates clarity regarding the definition of fossil-free delivery, it is currently unclear what effects the industry agreement has had. Exploring these effects generates important knowledge to further develop the industry agreement and find out whether further efforts are required.