E-commerce: Implications for travel and the environment

Current consumption and its rapid increase are considered unsustainable. It may dramatically increase negative externalities on both the local and global scale. The adoption of information communication technology in retailing products is considered to have the potential to radically change the retail sector and affect sustainability. Current consumption patterns and the major developments in the retail system are reviewed. A discussion follows of the focus of e-commerce’s effects on social sustainability as well as its potential impacts on freight transportation and personal travel. To assess e-commerce’s net implications on sustainability, it is important to consider both the short and long term. The short-term implications involve environmental externalities and transport flows. The long-term implications include effects on urban nature and structure through its possible effect on retail spatial structure.