E-commerce and the climate: a more complex relationship than it seems
In 2024, online commerce in France represented over 175 billion euros in transactions, according to the Federation of E-commerce and Distance Selling (Fevad). A growth that shows no signs of slowing down. Each order placed on Amazon, Shein, or Zalando generates a series of CO₂ emissions often invisible to the consumer: package manufacturing, carrier journey, climate-controlled logistics warehouse, "last mile" delivery by diesel van — not to mention the digital traffic from servers displaying product pages in real time.
But is the carbon footprint of e-commerce really higher than that of brick-and-mortar retail? The answer is not so simple — and it depends heavily on each buyer's delivery, return, and consumption behaviors.
Amazon: the logistics giant and its carbon footprint
Amazon is both the world's largest e-commerce player and one of the most significant carbon emitters in the sector. According to its own 2023 sustainability report, its total emissions reached 71.54 million tonnes of CO₂e — a 40% increase from 2019, despite the "Climate Pledge" commitments targeting carbon neutrality by 2040.
The breakdown of its emissions perfectly illustrates the e-commerce challenge:
- Scope 3 (upstream and downstream): 75% of the total, including third-party seller goods, subcontracted transportation, and packaging manufacturing
- Transport and logistics: the main operational emissions category, despite the rollout of 100,000 electric vans promised by 2030
- AWS data centers: major electricity consumers, partially powered by renewable energy
- Packaging: Amazon claims significant progress (37% reduction in packaging weight per delivery since 2015), but total volume continues to rise
The Amazon Day program — which groups all your weekly deliveries into a single day — is one of the few options allowing consumers to directly reduce their delivery-related footprint. Unfortunately, it remains poorly promoted and rarely used.
Shein: the extreme case of online fast fashion
If Amazon represents general e-commerce, Shein embodies the logical endpoint of fast fashion pushed to the extreme by digital ultra-fast fashion. This Chinese low-cost clothing giant lists between 2,000 and 10,000 new items every day, at prices that defy all competition — and all ecological common sense.
Shein's carbon footprint is catastrophic on multiple levels:
- Manufacturing: each Shein item is initially produced in very small batches, triggering additional on-demand production — a model that creates an illusion of efficiency but generates a considerable air logistics footprint (clothes are shipped by air from China)
- Product lifespan: Shein items are designed to be worn a few times before being discarded — maximizing emissions per wear
- Return rate: estimated at 30-40% for online fast fashion, each return generates a logistics round trip often more polluting than the manufacturing itself
- Synthetic fibers: the materials used (polyester, nylon) are petroleum-derived and release microplastics with every wash
"A 5-euro Shein t-shirt doesn't really cost 5 euros. The price difference is paid by the planet and the workers."
— Ellen MacArthur Foundation report on the circular textile economy, 2023
To explore the carbon impact of the textile industry as a whole, our article on the carbon cost of fast fashion provides detailed data on one of the most carbon-intensive sectors in the global economy.
Express delivery: the ecological trap of "guaranteed tomorrow"
The promise of 24-hour delivery — or even within hours via Prime or quick-commerce services — has a considerable environmental cost that platforms carefully downplay.
A study by the consulting firm Oliver Wyman published in 2023 quantifies this impact:
- A standard delivery (4-5 days) generates an average of 0.5 to 0.8 kg of CO₂e per package
- An express delivery (24h) generates 1.5 to 3 kg of CO₂e per package — 3 to 4 times more
- A delivery within hours (quick-commerce) can exceed 5 kg of CO₂e per delivery, due to route fragmentation and the inability to optimize routes
The difference is explained by several mechanisms:
- Express deliveries are less well consolidated and vans leave less full
- The time constraint prevents geographic optimization of delivery routes
- For ultra-short deadlines, air transport may be used for certain routes
- "Urban" warehouses used for quick-commerce are smaller, less optimized, and often climate-controlled
Returns: the e-commerce taboo
The average e-commerce return rate in France is approximately 20 to 25%, but rises to 30-40% for fashion and up to 50% for certain product categories with home try-on. This phenomenon, encouraged by free return policies, generates considerable and often overlooked emissions:
- Outbound transport for the initial delivery
- Return transport to the warehouse or sorting center
- Inspection, refurbishment, or destruction of the returned product
A report by Narvar reveals that in the United States, e-commerce returns generate 24 million tonnes of CO₂ annually and that 5 billion pounds of returned products end up directly in landfill — often because the cost of refurbishment exceeds the product's market value.
Packaging: real progress, but rising volumes
Packaging accounts for approximately 10 to 15% of the carbon footprint of an e-commerce delivery. Several companies are making notable efforts:
- Amazon is developing "right-sized packaging" that eliminates excess air and reduces transported volume
- La Redoute has adopted 100% recyclable paper-based flexible packaging for its clothing
- Fnac Darty is experimenting with packaging-free delivery for certain bulky products
But these improvements are largely offset by the growth in overall order volume. In France, the total amount of e-commerce packaging increased by 30% between 2019 and 2023, despite optimization efforts.
E-commerce vs brick-and-mortar retail: which is really more polluting?
Contrary to popular belief, e-commerce is not automatically more polluting than in-store shopping. Several studies (MIT, ETH Zurich, ADEME) show that:
- When the consumer drives to do their shopping, physical retail can be more carbon-intensive than e-commerce for small, lightweight items
- However, when the consumer walks or takes public transport, or consolidates purchases into a single trip, physical retail becomes more advantageous again
- The tipping point is generally around 3 to 5 km of driving: beyond that, e-commerce becomes overall less carbon-intensive
Practical steps to reduce the footprint of your online shopping
As a consumer, several actions can significantly reduce the climate impact of your online purchases:
- Group your orders: a single order of 5 items generates fewer emissions than 5 separate orders
- Avoid express delivery: systematically choose standard delivery or pickup points
- Use pickup points: pickup point delivery consolidates multiple deliveries into a single stop, reducing last-mile emissions
- Reduce returns: carefully check sizes, read reviews, and watch product videos before buying
- Avoid online fast fashion: favor second-hand purchases (Vinted, Leboncoin) or brands with documented durability
- Support local businesses: many local shops offer cargo bike delivery in urban areas
To adopt a comprehensive approach to responsible consumption and reduce your carbon footprint across all your purchases, our complete guide on how to get started with responsible consumption gives you an accessible and non-dogmatic roadmap.
Conclusion: e-commerce needs an ecological revolution
E-commerce is neither the devil nor the savior of sustainable consumption. Its climate impact depends massively on delivery choices, return policies, and the types of products purchased. Platforms bear considerable responsibility in the evolution of their logistics models — and real progress is underway. But until systemic players transform their practices, every consumer has concrete levers to reduce the footprint of their online shopping, without giving up the convenience of digital commerce.