Global Sustainable Logistics Survey (GSLS)

“The Global Sustainable Logistics Survey stands out for the breadth of its global reach, drawing on both supply- and demand-side voices across freight transport and the logistics sector. The survey enabled us to define valuable policy and industry recommendations. To scale up sustainable, low-carbon solutions we require more effective policy frameworks supporting emission reductions, increasing resilience, and ensuring zero-emission freight solutions extended across all modes. Embracing these recommendations is an urgently needed action policymakers should act on without delay.”

“This report adds valuable evidence to the debate on skills in logistics. Training is among the most cost-effective investments the sector can make. After all, even the best technology is only as useful as the people operating it. Treating training as an investment rather than a cost is not just good practice – it is good business.”

“We know that there are many solutions to creating more sustainable logistics systems. From fleet electrification to modal shift, many solutions have been extensively researched, but are not getting taken up in practice as much as is needed for a sustainable future. The GSLS Report provides the evidence that is needed to understand what is happening in practice and what some of the barriers are. This will help to target policy and innovation. The GSLS Report also highlights the importance of skills to scale sustainable solutions, which is another challenge to which universities should be paying attention, using the information in the GSLS Report to tailor their educational to provide the sustainability professionals of the future.”

“Policymakers and companies will find real value in this report’s global evidence on climate action in logistics, from reducing emissions to adapting to physical climate risks. It rightly calls for adaptation finance to be scaled and targeted at the most vulnerable elements of transport and logistics systems, such as road freight in Africa. Strengthening these systems can benefit communities, companies, countries and consumers alike.”

“Decarbonization and logistics resilience require a methodical approach. Technical studies and research like this one guide the private sector and policymakers, linking environmental goals to operational reality. Without consistent data to inform strategic decisions, there is no viable path for the future of transportation.”

“This report brings together voices from both the supply and demand sides of the global logistics sector at a strategic moment for climate action, following COP30 in Brazil. It calls on policymakers to focus on workforce training, particularly regarding the technical skills that are in short supply within the sector. Furthermore, in light of increasing extreme weather events, investments must be directed toward—and infrastructure planned for—adaptation measures that ensure operational continuity, thereby transforming climate commitments into resilient and scalable logistics systems. It is also crucial to formulate policies based on a viable and diversified energy transition across all modes of transport, ensuring the effectiveness of the sector's decarbonization.”

“This report offers a rigorous, multi-regional contribution to the logistics sector, drawing on the perspectives of representatives from supply chains around the world. It highlights a challenge we see clearly in Chile: the need to accelerate modal shift in South America by further developing rail infrastructure and harmonizing cross-border standards. Investment in intermodal terminals and corridors, with landlocked countries and other countries along these corridors taking a leading role, is precisely the kind of action we encourage policymakers to prioritize.”

“This report is timely and highly relevant for China, where freight decarbonization now depends on moving from isolated pilots to coordinated market demand. Through SFC China’s work with shippers, carriers, OEMs, infrastructure partners, and public-sector stakeholders, we are helping translate global insights into practical pathways for zero-emission freight deployment. By aggregating demand, building trusted partnerships, and supporting real-world corridor and fleet electrification initiatives, SFC China aims to accelerate the conditions suppliers need to invest, scale, and deliver zero-emission logistics solutions.”