For example, a UK-based business with traction in Europe should consider warehousing stock in Germany, Poland or the Netherlands to shorten the fulfillment process. Retailers with sufficient international presence should maintain stock levels in local territories to reduce transport of product across the globe. This level of instant intelligence limits delays, saves energy and ensures speed of passage.

Live data helps harmonize communication to manage ship arrivals, berthings and departures safely and efficiently. Shipping companies can obtain information through GPS tags to help locate containers and ships in real time. Newly developed freight booking tools have made it easier and more efficient to book containers on large cargo ships, thereby reducing the need for air freight, which is generally seen as producing a larger carbon footprint. With issues in ports arising from COVID-19, some retailers switched from sea to air to secure supply of product from manufacturing hubs such as China or India. Here are some of the ways retailers can reduce their carbon footprint using new tooling and data analytics: Improving Freight's Environmental Capabilities Effective deployment of data is integral to keeping a company's profits high and its impact on the planet low. The annual third-party logistics study found that 98 percent of third-party logistics providers (3PLs) and 93 percent of shippers believed data-driven decision-making was essential to the future of supply chain activities, while another study illustrates that approximately 79 percent of companies that maintain high-performing supply chains can enjoy above-average revenue growth. New tools, such as radio frequency identification and the Internet of Things, make data available to retailers like never before and are the linchpin to improving efficiencies, reducing waste, saving energy and assessing overall carbon footprint. The acceleration of the digital economy has led to technological innovation in many aspects of retail operations.

A recent Europe Ecommerce report highlighted that 94 percent of Chinese, 76 percent of Europeans and 69 percent of Americans surveyed said they would boycott carbon negative companies.

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