Sustainability in logistics: why every journey needs a digital backbone.

Sustainability isn’t just about going green, it’s about staying in business.

In Belgium and the Netherlands, logistics companies face mounting pressure from both regulation and reputation. Many are genuinely committed to reducing emissions and improving environmental performance. But frameworks like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) raise the bar. Companies must now report on the full sustainability performance of their entire supply chain, including third-party logistics providers. And that's challenging, in fragmented, fast-moving operations.

Many logistics players have already invested in physical measures (think green trucks or sustainable packaging), but are now reaching the limits of their impact. In the long run, it is important to establish a complete sustainability strategy. Beyond a traditional approach, looking into the combined potential of physical and digital solutions.

So how can logistics companies move beyond good intentions and make sustainability scalable, measurable, and future-proof? The answer lies in balancing physical, process, and digital transformation.

The limits of physical sustainability measures

Sustainability efforts often start with physical upgrades, but companies are starting to run into constraints. 

• Technological and infrastructural bottlenecks
  Electric and hydrogen trucks have limited range and require infrastructure that is still under development. Full fleet transitions are years away. 
• Diminishing returns
  Most ‘low-hanging fruits’ - like packaging reduction - have been picked. After initial improvements, further physical optimizations become costly and provide less impact.
• Operational trade-offs
  Lightweight packaging can lead to an increase in damaged and returned goods. Electric vehicles may require route changes due to charging needs.

Physical changes are an important starting point, but won’t get us to net-zero.

Process optimization: the hidden accelerator for sustainability

Process improvements focus on smarter logistics: doing more with less. This means fewer kilometers, fewer movements and fewer inefficiencies, without necessarily investing in new assets. An overview:

Process-driven opportunities for sustainability across the supply chain

Higher load factors

In Europe, estimatedly 20–30% of trucks run empty, and the average load capacity is just 50% (VIL.be). That’s a huge emissions-cutting opportunity. In Belgium and the Netherlands, even competitors are sharing carrier space. Every 1% gain in load factor cuts kilometers, fuel use, and emissions.

Smarter routing and ride reduction

Route optimization reduces idle time, unnecessary mileage, and fragmentation. But the big win is upstream: smarter order grouping, combined pick-up and delivery flows, and better planning - not just better rounds. That’s where digital tools and algorithms come in.

Modal shifts and network design

Sustainable logistics favors trains and ships for long hauls, and trucks for last-mile delivery. Platforms like Multimodaal.Vlaanderen help companies shift modes in real time based on cost, capacity, and CO₂. Big savings, no fleet overhaul needed.

From cross-chain collaboration to in-house process excellence

The examples above highlight supply chain-wide initiatives that require collaboration, flexibility, and shared control across partners. But not all sustainability gains depend on external cooperation. In fact, many impactful improvements can be made entirely within the organization. These internal optimizations rely on better process visibility, data quality, and cross-departmental alignment, and they form the foundation for future-proof, digital-first operations.

Demand forecasting and inventory optimization

Data-driven forecasting help right-size inventory and optimize flows, cutting last-minute and partial deliveries. The result? Lower emissions and more efficient operations.

Error reduction in internal processes

Operational errors - like incorrect order entries or stock mismatches - often trigger avoidable transport, returns, or emergency deliveries. These errors increase both costs and emissions. Streamlining internal workflows across departments (like order entry, planning, and fulfillment) helps create a low-impact, first-time-right supply chain. Standardized processes, automated validations, and digital integration boost accuracy, agility, and traceability, which are key for CSRD compliance and continuous improvement.

Process optimization significantly amplifies sustainability impact.

Process optimization not only tackles inefficiency to make sure every trip taken serves maximum purpose, it also works as one with physical measures. An electric truck that drives fewer kilometers due to smarter planning is easier to deploy, requires fewer charging stops, and lasts longer. Studies estimate that operational optimizations in transport can deliver 10–30% CO₂ reductions on top of technological gains. Programs like Lean & Green, active in Belgium and the Netherlands, demonstrate this potential. Dozens of companies have achieved 20% emission cuts simply by improving planning and coordination, without major new hardware investments.

But process improvements don’t happen in isolation. They require data, coordination, and control. That’s where the digital backbone comes in. Without integrated systems, real-time visibility, and cross-functional access to reliable data, process optimization quickly hits its limits. In the next section, we explore how digital transformation enables sustainable logistics, not just as an add-on, but as a structural foundation.

Supply chain visibility: you can’t manage what you can’t measure 

As we’ve seen, physical measures and process improvements are powerful levers to reduce emissions. But without the right data infrastructure to measure, monitor, and steer sustainability efforts, these levers quickly lose their effectiveness. That’s why visibility - across systems, departments, and partners - is the final piece of the puzzle. Or rather: the foundation beneath it all.

From mapping to automation: digital maturity in 4 stages

True visibility requires more than collecting data. It requires process mapping, standardization, digitization, and ultimately automation. Many logistics operations are already capturing data across WMS, TMS, ERP or telematics, but too often (and sadly), this data remains fragmented, underused, or even unknown to the people who could turn it into insight. Companies should first identify the decisions they want to support (e.g. emissions reporting, cost-to-serve, transport mix), and then determine what data is needed to enable them.

The 4 stages of digital maturity

1. Process mapping	Mapping reality and understand what happens, where, and how.
2. Standardization	Standardizing processes, definitions and metrics.
3. Digitization	Digitizing workflows and capturing structured data.
4. Automation	Automating reporting and decision-making logic.

Skipping steps leads to poor data quality, “blind spots” in reporting, and missed opportunities.

Interconnected data: integration as enabler

Many logistics companies struggle with fragmented systems (WMS, TMS, ERP, IoT), each holding valuable data, yet rarely working together in real-time. This fragmentation blocks visibility, complicates emissions tracking, and undermines sustainability reporting.

That’s where a robust integration strategy comes in. It ensures that key business capabilities - like emissions tracking, order orchestration, or vehicle utilization - are exposed in a modular and reusable way, across your systems and partners. Rather than relying on isolated reports, integration platforms provide the architectural foundation in your IT landscape to automate data flows and offer end-to-end insights. And that's exactly what’s needed to meet the CSRD reporting standards.

An integration platform acts as your digital control tower, connecting data streams across the entire logistics chain. As we explored in a previous article, integration platforms play an important role in connecting fragmented IT landscapes. This makes it possible to: 

• Validate data across systems for reliable reporting.
• Automatically aggregate transport chain elements (TCEs) for emissions tracking.
• Trigger real-time alerts on sustainability thresholds (e.g. under-utilized vehicles, inefficient routes, over-treshold emissions…)
• Visualize performance in actionable dashboards for internal and external stakeholders. 

The BILOG report by VIL, with contributions from our team at DataSense, offers a clear picture of the digital maturity in Belgian logistics. The key message? Companies aren’t lacking data — they’re lacking the ability to use it. BI tools alone won’t get you there. You need a data architecture that’s aligned with business questions and a digital backbone that ensures complete, connected and clean data.

Wrapping it all up: towards sustainable, data-driven logistics

If there’s one takeaway from this story, it’s this: you can't reach sustainability targets with physical measures alone. Logistics companies that want to stay ahead - on emissions, compliance, and performance - need to think in systems, not silos.

A digital core isn’t just a tech upgrade. It’s what enables you to move from fragmented improvements to a coordinated strategy that’s measurable, scalable, and future-proof.

Here’s how to move forward:

• Start with process analysis.
  Map your key logistics flows, identify inefficiencies, and spot where emissions and effort don’t align.
• Invest in process optimization.
  Focus on what’s within your control (better planning, smarter routing, cleaner data) before jumping to new tech.
• Connect your systems.
  Integration platforms help bring siloed data together, enabling real-time visibility, smarter decisions, and automated reporting.
• Build up your reporting capabilities.
  Whether it’s CSRD, CO₂ dashboards or customer transparency: actionable reporting requires robust data architecture.
• Think beyond compliance.
  Visibility isn’t only about checking a box, it’s a competitive advantage that strengthens your operations from the inside out.

The digital backbone isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s the enabler of real, scalable impact.

Ready to move from ambition to action?

Are your sustainability plans are hitting roadblocks? You’re not alone. And you don’t have to fix it all at once and on your own. We're happy to help you build the digital base your sustainability strategy needs. Pragmatically, and with your operations in mind.

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