| Deutsche Post DHL publishes Green Trends Survey |
 |
|
2. Perhaps surprisingly, the sense of urgency regarding climate change is strongest in Asia: “Climate change” leads the list by far of the most prominent global challenges among respondents in Asia, where 70% of end consumers surveyed there say it belongs to the most serious problems facing the world, 18 percentage points ahead of “poverty, lack of food and drinking water.” Climate change ranks on a par with poverty in Europe and slightly behind poverty in the Americas. 3. Similarly, the importance attributed to sustainable logistics is not a “privilege” of “well-off” European residents. What is more, business customers in Asia and the Americas consider “green” transport solutions to be more important than do European customers: while 73% of U.S. and Brazilian respondents and 66% of Chinese and Indian customers say it is important, only 45% of their European counterparts agree. 4. Sustainability is not a marketing ploy – it has made its way right to the heart of business: Cost savings are just as important of a driver for “green” transport solutions (8.3 points out of 10) as are “intangible” reasons, like company reputation (8.3) or corporate responsibility (8.5). In contrast, marketing, or brand perception, is the least important reason (7.9) why business customers think “green” logistics is vital now or will become so over the coming years. 5. Logistics is increasingly perceived as strategically important for CO 2 abatement: Almost two-thirds, i.e., 63% of business customers, believe companies will regard transportation as a key lever to reduce their carbon footprint. 6. Business customers expect the logistics landscape to change: 63% reckon they will see more collaborative approaches in the industry and 64% believe that CO 2 labeling will become standard. Also, 52% of end consumers say they will pay attention to CO 2 labeling on services and products. 7. Business customers are inclined to use green logistics: While 51% of end consumers express their preference for green transport solutions over cheaper solutions, this compares to 57% of business customers who say that they will favor a greener provider over a cheaper one, over the coming years. 8. Business thus takes a proactive stance: Not surprisingly, given that a vast majority, i.e., 65% of the business customers surveyed, expects that the regulatory environment will become much more stringent over the coming years. 9. Accordingly, CO 2 reduction is already a topic for more than 50% of the companies of survey respondents. In more than two-thirds of those companies, concrete carbon reduction targets or plans are already in place. 10. Bigger companies lead the way around the globe: Company size is key in terms of the importance attributed to greener transportation modes. While “green” transport is important for 77% of companies employing more than 500 people globally, only 11. Business customers harbor huge expectations towards government: 70% of respondents believe that legislation is needed in order to bring about a substantial shift towards a sustainable logistics industry. End consumers, by contrast, count less on government action: only 53% of consumers surveyed believe that legislation will effectively become much more stringent – and only half of respondents think that political action will have a significant impact on climate change. 12. Consumers expect to be presented with solutions: Two-thirds of end consumers expect greener logistics services to be available at the same price as conventional transport. It is noteworthy, however, that 56% of business customers believe consumers would prefer greener over cheaper solutions. |
