Sustainability has gained increasing attention for corporate strategies in recent years. Transport services are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions and often make up a large part of companies Scope 3 emissions. Consequently, companies buying transport services face growing pressure to reduce the climate impact of their freight transport activities. . Freight transport emissions are the results of long-term strategies, short-term tactical decisions, and everyday operational choices. Hence, the way transport services are planned and procured play a role in reducing emissions. But making real progress is not easy. It requires more than setting climate goals, it demands changes in how transport services are managed, procured, and integrated into broader supply chains.
Moreover, the changes required demand interaction and collaboration among firms embedded in the business networks where the transport activities occur. Despite growing awareness, freight transport emissions are still often seen as “someone else’s problem”, typically that of transport providers. But this approach is no longer sufficient as transport buyers are now facing rising expectations from all sides. Governments are tightening regulations on carbon reporting and fuel use, and customers, especially large retailers, manufacturers, and public sector buyers, are demanding lower-emission deliveries. To meet these expectations, transport buyers must navigate a complex set of internal and external challenges. Internally, they need to align transport procurement practices with operational objectives and strategies, including climate goals.
Additionally, because transport buyers do not operate in isolation but are embedded in a broader business network, any adaptations to their operations must reflect interaction and interdependencies with actors such as transport providers, customers, and other supply chain partners. Taken together, these developments underscore the need for transport buyers to combine internal alignment with strengthened collaboration across the wider business network. Only by integrating climate considerations into both organizational practices and inter-organizational relationships can companies translate sustainability ambitions into concrete reductions in freight transport emissions.
Göteborg: IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet, 2025.