Last mile delivery in Scotland

Abstract

This research sets out to: develop a profile of last mile delivery in Scotland; estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from these deliveries; understand what activities are underway in other jurisdictions to reduce emissions; and collate details of commitments made by businesses to improve sustainability. Transport Scotland (TS) defined ‘last mile’ for this project as “the movement of goods…from a transportation hub to the final delivery destination. There is a need for improved understanding of last mile delivery, so that TS and local authorities can take measures to mitigate the negative impacts. The research finds that LCVs make-up the majority (75%) of all miles driven in the last mile sector and that over 10 million tonnes of goods are moved annually in Scotland within last mile. Last mile deliveries in Scotland produce 750,000 tonnes of CO2 per year; these represent 6.6% of all road transport emissions (2019 figures).