Smart Logistic – How to reduce CO2 emissions with new technological solutions

Globalization and international trade increased the level of complexity of logistic chains. This brings up many challenges for companies within the logistic industry (Douaioui, Fri, Mabroukki & Semma, 2018). The new industrial revolution called "Industry 4.0" has led researchers of the logistic industry to develop a new concept of logistics called “Smart Logistics” which aims to facilitate real-time information exchange, increase visibility, and improve supply chain flexibility (Douaioui et al., 2018). The transition from traditional technology to intelligent machines does not limit the sustainability of the industrial economy (Ejsmont, Gladysz, & Kluczek, 2020). The objective of this paper is to analyze the research question of “how smart logistics drives Swiss small and medium enterprises (SME) to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions” with the exploratory research method. This paper combines a systematic literature review and multiple interviews with experts. The results showed that although the use of sensors and software solutions drive Swiss SMEs to reduce their CO2 emissions, there is still a big potential for adopting Industry 4.0 smart solutions to introduce more sustainable logistic processes and meet the demand for low-carbon supply chains.