Knowledge for Action
Transforming Freight Transport and Logistics
In a world of interconnected challenges, our economies and societies must transform to remain competitive, equitable and resilient, while keeping global warming to 1.5ºC. Accelerating the transformation of freight transport and logistics is one of the highest-impact opportunities to enable positive socio-economic transformations by mid-century.
In 2025, we continued working with Kühne Climate Center, to advance intermodal, low-carbon, efficient, and resilient freight transport and logistics. Our Roadmap for Transformative Action on Freight Transport and Logistics, outlines key actions, highlighting milestones to be achieved through collective action of transport actors from 2026 to 2050.
With the aim of harnessing the momentum of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026-2035, this roadmap supports national and sub-national governments and companies (freight operators, shippers, logistic companies etc.) to deliver impactful action. It draws on existing research and evidence from leading international stakeholders to offer a clear pathway for impactful progress, identify responsible actors, and potential first movers, and provide examples of good practices across actors.
The roadmap builds upon the Compendium of Policies and Investments, initiated by SLOCAT and Kühne Climate Center in 2024, identifying ‘best value’ policies and investment approaches to deliver near-term results, while laying the foundations for long-term transformations of freight transport and logistics.
Together, the roadmap and compendium translate the vision of the Manifesto for intermodal, low-carbon, efficient and resilient freight transport and logistics into actionable steps. The manifesto, launched in 2024 at the first United Nations Global Supply Chain Forum by SLOCAT and Kühne Climate Center in collaboration with ALICE, CONCITO, IDDRI, International Transport Workers’ Federation, Smart Freight Centre, International Union of Railways (UIC), and World Resources Institute (WRI), mobilised more than 45 signatories.