AI for Greater Sustainability in Supply Chains

A Bitkom survey of approximately 600 digital decision-makers in companies and 1,000 individuals from the public reveals that every second company (57%) is engaged with AI. Public support for AI applications is highest in cybersecurity (80%), followed by transportation and mobility (78%). AI is already part of daily life, transforming operations in many areas. Greater resource efficiency leads to increased sustainability. AI solutions are increasingly found in logistics centers, as well as in land, sea, and air transportation. The goal: sustainable business practices benefiting the environment, people, and the economy.

AI Enhancing Sustainability in Supply Chains

With ambitious climate goals, looming labor shortages, and stricter reporting requirements, supply chain stakeholders must collaborate. This means collecting, analyzing, and sharing data—ultimately impacting everyone involved in transporting or handling goods. Sustainable supply chains require holistic management and increased transparency. The more complex the processes, the more AI can support both internal and cross-company sustainability efforts.

One key initiative in this space is the ALICE project, set to be showcased at transport logistic 2025. ALICE is developing a European technology platform and working closely with shippers and logistics providers to make transport and logistics operations cost-effectively zero-emission.

AI’s Role in Sustainability Management

Frank Huster, Managing Director of the DSLV Federal Association for Freight Forwarding and Logistics, spoke at the UBA Colloquium on Sustainable Freight Transport in June 2024. He summarized the perspectives of shippers and major logistics companies, emphasizing that climate protection in logistics relies on three pillars: modal shift, process optimization, and technological progress.

Having already been early adopters of new propulsion technologies, sustainable fuels, and renewable energy, logistics companies are now swiftly integrating AI applications as a crucial tool for sustainable logistics. This is reflected in the latest DHL Trend Radar, which highlights sustainability alongside trends such as Generative AI, AI ethics, audio AI, computer vision, and advanced analytics as key developments in logistics.

Road Freight: A Key Area for AI-Driven Sustainability

AI’s potential for sustainability is particularly significant in road freight, which accounts for the majority of goods transport across the 27 EU countries. Globalization and trade continue to drive increasing transport volumes, putting pressure on the environment.

According to the European Commission’s Statistical Pocketbook, 53.8% of the EU’s 3,471 billion ton-kilometers of freight movement occur on roads, followed by 28% on maritime routes, 11.9% on rail, 3.5% via inland waterways, 2.7% through pipelines, and just 0.1% by air.

AI as a Data-Driven Sustainability Enabler

By streamlining processes, supporting real-time decision-making, and enabling both predictive forecasting and retrospective analysis, AI contributes to environmental protection while also reducing costs. AI can optimize routes using traffic and weather data, improve warehouse and cargo space utilization based on demand forecasting, and support predictive maintenance through real-time data on vehicle maintenance, fuel consumption, and driving behavior.

Furthermore, AI facilitates greater transparency in supply chains by tracking the origins and transport routes of goods. If data sharing across companies increases in the future, logistics will not only become significantly more efficient but also more sustainable.

Increasing Trust in AI’s Sustainability Benefits

However, many stakeholders in the value chain still lack trust in AI applications, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which struggle with data-sharing challenges.

To address this, the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) in Dortmund launched the SKALA project in mid-2024. SKALA—short for 'Scalable AI and Blockchain Solutions for Automating and Automating Value Chains'—integrates AI techniques such as Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, and Predictive Analytics with blockchain technology. The initiative aims to provide open-source software components that make sustainable logistics chains more accessible, especially for SMEs.

AI at Key Intersections of Multimodal and Combined Transport

AI is making an impact at multiple points in multimodal and combined transport. With numerous stakeholders and vast amounts of data, logistics chains present significant opportunities for AI-driven optimization.

At the German federal government's Digital Summit, the German Transport Forum (DVF) highlighted advanced projects involving shared platforms. The discussion on AI and sustainability will continue at transport logistic 2025 in the Next Generation Logistics: Reshaping Combined Transport forum.

AI can unlock valuable insights from the vast data generated at transfer points between rail, road, water, and air transport, making it easier to optimize sustainable logistics chains through cooperative data utilization.

AI Enhancing Sustainability Across Long Distances

Data plays a central role in global trade. Ships transport goods over long distances, while aircraft carry products across countries, generating both emissions and vast amounts of information. DB Schenker has recently implemented Ocean Bridge, a digital tool for monitoring supply chains. By analyzing real-time data at the container, shipment, and vessel levels, it provides interactive maps with estimated departure, arrival, and dwell times. AI-driven calculations deliver reliable forecasts, allowing for better planning of delays and changes—enhancing not just environmental sustainability but also business efficiency.

A Meeting Point for Human Intelligence

Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requirements and other regulations are increasing pressure on the logistics sector. From 2026, more European companies will be required to report on their sustainability activities. This will lead to increased administrative work, further driving interest in AI-powered sustainability solutions. At transport logistic 2025, AI in sustainability will be a major theme, spanning all 12 halls of Messe München.

On 150,000 square meters of exhibition space, AI-focused infrastructure providers, transport companies, equipment manufacturers, and service providers will connect with shippers from various industries. Visitors, exhibitors, and speakers will engage in discussions on environmentally friendly and economically viable processes powered by AI. Experts from business and academia will explore new sustainable solutions together—proving that the future of logistics is both intelligent and sustainable.