Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Milan, March 20 2021 – Milan was awarded the international tender “Zero Emission Urban Goods Transportation technical assistance programme” launched by C40 to encourage urban logistics and the delivery of zero-emission goods.

The project presented by Milan plans to test a model of urban distribution of goods, especially those of the last mile, using exclusively electric vehicles or cargo bikes with the identification of an Urban Distribution Center (CDU) located in a strategic position in terms of road and rail accessibility and equipped with fully automated warehouse management processes, alongside the "city hubs" (HUBs) located in various parts of the city for the delivery of goods to the end user.

The project was born from a proposal from the Order of Engineers of Milan, developed by the Municipality of Milan with the support of AMAT and is integrated into the broader strategy adopted by the Municipal Administration with the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PUMS) already in 2018, up to incorporating the sustainability objectives present in the 2030 Agenda and the most recent adoption of the Air Climate Plan as well as the initiatives related to the food policy, with the aim of implementing a logistics system functioning with zero environmental impact by the 2026 Olympic Games.

The increase in deliveries of goods in the city, also as a consequence of the health emergency, generates an increase in the rate of traffic congestion with problems that negatively impact the quality of the air, the liveability and safety of citizens. For this reason it is necessary to study innovative processes for rationalizing the urban logistics system which involves the reduction of the use of private vehicles in favor of zero-emission means of transport for the delivery of goods with environmental benefits for citizens and better efficiency and quality of service for stakeholders and logistics operators.

In 2017 C40, the global network of large cities that work to develop and implement policies and programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental damage and risks caused by climate change, launched the “Green and Healthy Streets (GHS ) Declaration”, signed by 35 cities around the world, with the ambitious goal of creating zero-emission urban areas by 2030 and accelerating the implementation of the best urban logistics projects.