Global Platforms Launch Deliver-E Coalition to Scale Zero-Emission Deliveries

On 14 October 2025, in Dubai, eight leading food and grocery delivery platforms announced the formation of the Deliver-E Coalition, an industry-led alliance focused on speeding the shift to zero-emission delivery vehicles globally. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will act as the Secretariat for the coalition, providing coordination, research support, communications, and governance assistance.

The founding members are Delivery Hero, DoorDash, iFood, Mr D, Swiggy, Uber, Wolt, and Zomato, which together operate in 96 countries and account for an estimated six billion delivery trips per year using two- and three-wheeler vehicles. Associated partners include the ClimateWorks Foundation, the Government of the Netherlands, and Prosus.

The coalition’s charter commits members to “dramatically speed up the implementation of zero-emission deliveries by shifting to electric vehicles, bicycles, and other means of zero-emission two- and three-wheeler deliveries, thereby unlocking economic, social, and environmental benefits for all stakeholders and the wider society.”

Members will collaborate to share best practices, align on technology deployment, track electrification progress, and jointly tackle common barriers. As Secretariat, UNEP will manage the coalition’s administrative, technical, and communications functions, while leaving decision-making to the member companies.

Why the Focus on Two- and Three-Wheelers

Last-mile delivery is now recognized as a key battleground in urban decarbonization. In many cities, the rapid growth of online shopping has led to a steep rise in delivery traffic, emissions, congestion, and local pollution. Without intervention, emissions from deliveries in the top 100 cities are projected to increase by over 30 percent. According to joint assessments, that would lead to a 14 percent increase in congestion, about 12 percent higher healthcare costs, and add several minutes to daily commutes. In some cities by 2030, deliveries could account for half of all transport emissions.

Electric two- and three-wheeler vehicles offer a compelling pathway. Studies supported by UNEP indicate that replacing internal combustion two-wheelers with e-bikes (or equivalent zero-emission alternatives) could reduce last-mile delivery costs by roughly 25 percent while cutting emissions by nearly 90 percent. The shift also brings ancillary benefits: lower noise levels, reduced air pollution, new jobs in servicing and charging infrastructure, and improved working conditions for delivery drivers.

Moreover, consumer demand is shifting. Independent assessments suggest that more than 70 percent of shoppers prefer sustainable or zero-emission delivery options, giving platforms both a reputational and competitive incentive to act.

A Shared Roadmap: Workstreams and Governance

Deliver-E is structured around a collaborative approach. Its charter outlines a shared knowledge platform where members exchange lessons, vehicle operations data, charging strategies, and policy experiences. It also seeks to convene broader ecosystem partners, such as policymakers, technology firms, equipment manufacturers, fleet operators, and financiers, to tackle structural barriers together.

In its initial phase, the coalition will prioritize four core workstreams:

1. Evidence & Insights: Build a common database of performance benchmarks, use cases, and operational metrics across markets.

2. Technology & Supply: Facilitate wider access to zero-emission vehicle models, support component standardization, and help aggregate demand.

3. Finance & Scale: Explore models such as leasing, carbon finance, and risk sharing to reduce capital barriers for fleet operators.

4. Governance & Communications: Oversee decision-making, membership, reporting, and external engagement.

Progress will be tracked via coalition-level reporting under Chatham House rules, so individual contributions are anonymized to protect competitive confidentiality. Members may join or exit by formal notice.

Key Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

While ambitions are high, Deliver-E must navigate several challenges:

• Upfront costs and availability: In many regions, electric two- and three-wheelers remain more expensive and less readily available than combustion alternatives.

• Charging infrastructure & grid constraints: Urban areas may lack dense, reliable charging or battery swap networks. Grid capacity and permitting issues may slow deployment.

• Uncertain total cost of ownership (TCO): Hesitancy among fleet operators may persist unless lifetime costs, maintenance, and resale values are well understood.

• Operational integration: Route planning, vehicle range, charging downtime, load factors, and fleet scheduling all need redesign to suit electric logistics.

• Regulatory and policy fragmentation: Incentives, standards, and permitting regimes differ widely across jurisdictions; effective policy alignment will be essential.

The coalition’s collaborative model helps to mitigate these risks by pooling data, aggregating demand, co-capitalizing infrastructure, and presenting a unified voice to governments and suppliers.

Implications for Stakeholders

• For delivery platforms and logistics operators: Participation in Deliver-E offers opportunities to reduce operating costs, improve profit margins, and move faster in electrification. Platforms can reduce duplication of effort by pooling insights, jointly negotiating infrastructure, and aligning technology standards.

• For vehicle manufacturers, technology suppliers, and infrastructure providers: Deliver-E provides a unified demand pipeline and coordination mechanism to expand manufacturing, standardize components, and accelerate deployment of charging or battery swap systems. OEMs and suppliers may gain clearer signals about future market needs.

• For financiers and investors: The coalition may unlock new investment opportunities in leasing, battery-as-a-service models, charging networks, fleet management, and clean logistics. Shared risk across platforms and markets may help de-risk early-stage investments.

• For cities and governments: Urban authorities stand to benefit from cleaner air, quieter streets, lower congestion, and reduced public health costs. But they must partner in enabling framework conditions, such as zoning, grid upgrades, permitting, incentives, and electric mobility policies.

• For delivery workers and communities: Drivers could benefit from lower fuel and maintenance costs, more stable vehicle operations, and new skills in servicing electric fleets. Communities may receive quieter, cleaner neighborhoods.

Outlook

Deliver-E is practical and timely in its focus: transitioning the high-frequency, short-haul deliveries that are often overlooked but cumulatively significant. Its governance model, combining private sector clout, public legitimacy, and collective accountability, is well adapted to scaling the needed logistics transformation.

The coalition’s success hinges on how effectively members convert commitments into measurable outcomes, especially within varied regulatory, economic, and market contexts. Key indicators will include the rate of fleet electrification, uptake of shared infrastructure, policy impacts, and cost reductions.

If Deliver-E delivers on its ambitions, it could serve as a blueprint for coalition models in other transport segments, from light goods vehicles to urban fleets, thereby advancing the broader net-zero transition in cities worldwide.

Source: unep.org