Clean Freight Futures

Urban freight transport in Central and Eastern Europe remains a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and congestion. The European Green Deal, the Urban Mobility Framework and the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive call on cities to reduce transport emissions and improve air quality, while supporting economic activity. Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have committed to these goals through national climate and transport strategies, yet clean urban logistics policies are still weakly developed at city level. Capital cities such as Sofia, Budapest, Bucharest and Bratislava continue to rely heavily on diesel delivery vehicles, and low- and zero-emission freight solutions are not yet mainstream. The project supports these countries by strengthening local implementation of European and national climate objectives, aligning urban freight with climate, mobility and air quality policies, and enabling cities to contribute effectively to European Union emission reduction targets.

The project accelerates the shift to zero-emission urban logistics in Sofia, Budapest, Bucharest and Bratislava through coordinated action by cities, businesses and civil society. The project team builds the capacity of city authorities by providing tools, data and policy support to design and implement clean freight frameworks, including low-emission zones, incentives and integrated logistics strategies. It works directly with logistics operators, retailers and small and medium-sized enterprises to reduce barriers to adopting electric vehicles, cargo bikes and more efficient delivery models. Through public-private dialogue, pilot actions and knowledge exchange, the project improves coordination across stakeholders and connects freight policies with wider transport and climate planning. Civil society organisations engage residents and businesses to build public support and demand for clean logistics. By documenting results and sharing practical solutions, the project creates replicable models for other cities in Central and Eastern Europe and across the European Union.