Making transport and logistics in the city of the future green and sustainable – this is where German companies have excellent expertise.

At the same time, metropolitan regions around the world are considering what their infrastructure of the future should and could look like. But how can German green and sustainable products be made adaptable to the needs and conditions of these dynamic metropolitan areas? With the “GLI-X: Green Logistic Indicators for Exports” nexus, together with GESI – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Systeminnovation mbH – is developing a Smart Logistics Indicator System that supports companies in exporting their green and sustainable environmental infrastructure and adapting it to the needs of the export markets.

In export markets, German industry is often faced with the challenge that its highly developed technical solution does not correspond to the level of knowledge and training available in the export market or to the existing infrastructure. It must therefore be adapted to the skills and starting conditions found there. To this end, a measurement and indicator system is helpful that makes it possible to assess the level and compatibility of the local situation in order to be able to tailor the offer to the individual needs of the export market.

Using the example of logistics in the Gauteng metropolitan region (South Africa) and the city of Johannesburg, an indicator system and a method are to be developed that represent the current situation (transport time, use of resources, emissions, costs) and make it possible to measure progress in the region.

The region has approx. 12 million inhabitants, South Africa is also particularly active in climate protection in the Group of 77 (G77) and is a close political and economic African partner of the Federal Republic in the fields of climate, energy and infrastructure. The Johannesburg Metropolitan Region is the leading city in Africa in the area of Smart City. At the same time, new structures relevant to logistics, such as an automotive or fresh produce cluster, are emerging in the metropolitan region. Both on the political administrative side and in public, there is a broad openness towards evidence-based approaches to promoting sustainable development.

The development of this indicator system should enable German companies to evaluate potential export markets; to measure the increase in efficiency in the application of technologies from Germany and, building on this, to develop targeted argumentation aids and marketing support that focus on increasing the efficiency of sustainability and green economic efficiency.

In terms of methodology, the project uses participatory dialogue procedures with stakeholders from all relevant areas, expert interviews and desk work. On the basis of all three methods, the necessary data on the initial situation and objectives are collected and the indicators and the rough concept are developed.

Duration: 09/2017 – 07/2021
Client: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
Team: Sabine Schröder (project management), Michael Abraham, Vanessa Kügler, Owen Wooden
Partner: GESI German Society for System Innovation mbH

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