How-to guide: Zero-emission zones

More than half the world’s population now lives in urban areas, and cities continue to grow. The current freight system intensifies many urban challenges: congestion, traffic safety, noise pollution, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Yet too often city planners and transportation officials overlook the impact of freight.

As cities around the world seek to reduce their carbon footprint, many are now devising zero-emission zones (ZEZs) for mass transit and personal mobility. But while urban freight produces a substantial share of pollution and CO2 emissions, few cities and countries have developed a vision and implementation pathway specifically for the freight sector.

Zero-emission zones for freight (ZEZ-Fs) are areas in cities where only zero-emission delivery and freight transport vehicles may enter. ZEZ-Fs can make significant contributions to the urban environment. They can help cities achieve important goals including less congestion, cleaner air and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

This how-to guide, developed by the Transport Decarbonisation Alliance, C40 and POLIS, with input from WBCSD and mobility experts around the world, can help urban planners, transport officials, freight operators and other stakeholders to navigate the complex ecosystem of city logistics and develop ZEZ-Fs that make urban mobility more sustainable.