Clean Freight Futures
Clean urban logistics is possible now, and essential for healthier, safer, and more climate-resilient cities.
This project shows how capital cities in Central and Eastern Europe can lead the way through collaborative, scalable, and zero-emission freight solutions.
The project
Supported by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) Clean Freight Futures accelerates the transition to zero-emission urban logistics in the capital cities of Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. The project brings together city authorities, businesses, and civil society to create practical, scalable solutions for cleaner and more efficient freight systems.
By strengthening public–private cooperation, it supports municipalities in designing and implementing effective policy frameworks, while helping logistics providers and businesses adopt low- and zero-emission solutions. At the same time, it builds public awareness and demand for sustainable urban freight.
The project focuses on capacity building, policy development, stakeholder engagement, and cross-city knowledge exchange. It equips local authorities with data-driven tools, mobilises market actors, and fosters collaboration across sectors.
Clean Freight Futures aims to establish a replicable model for urban freight reform across Central and Eastern Europe, with relevance for cities across the EU. Its long-term impact includes reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved air quality, lower congestion, and more liveable urban environments—delivering tangible benefits for cities, businesses, and communities alike.
Our Impact
Clean Freight Futures drives the long-term transformation of urban freight systems in Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava and Sofia by embedding low- and zero-emission logistics into policy and practice. It supports cities and businesses in delivering sustained emissions reductions, cleaner air, and more liveable urban environments.
The project catalyses systemic change across sectors—reducing greenhouse gas emissions through cleaner vehicles and more efficient logistics, strengthening institutional planning, accelerating market uptake of zero-emission solutions, and fostering behavioural shifts toward sustainable urban mobility.
Beyond freight, it contributes to safer streets, reduced congestion, and improved public health. By aligning with key EU policy frameworks and demonstrating scalable solutions, it creates a replicable model for cities across the region and the wider European Union.
Consortium members
Ze Zemiata (Friends of the Earth Bulgaria) has a double role in the project. They coordinate and manage the project and will carry out all activities in Bulgaria. They also act as local delivery partners for the high level project conference in Sofia.
T&E’s Clean Cities programme brings in deep expertise in local and EU transport policy and regulations. They coordinate qualitative and quantitative research on clean urban freight in the four target cities and also serve as overall thematic coordinator of the project.
The Clean Air Action Group (CAAG) is one of the best-known environmental NGOs in Hungary. They focus on clean mobility by advocating for policies and initiatives that reduce air pollution from transportation. The organisation works on awareness campaigns, research, and policy recommendations to promote sustainable transportation solutions like electric vehicles, public transportation, and active mobility. In the project they are responsible for awareness raising and advocacy actions.
Cyklokoalicia has built deep expertise in transforming urban transport in Bratislava (Slovakia) through infrastructure advocacy, community mobilisation, data‑driven monitoring, and policy engagement. Its portfolio, spanning from cycle‑path mapping, cargo‑bike initiatives, and urban logistics training to strategic campaigning, makes them a credible and knowledgeable partner for sustainable logistics and mobility projects centred around cycling as a means of transport in Bratislava, Slovakia. In the project they coordinate high level conferences and promotion.
2Celsius has expertise in implementing advocacy campaigns at national and EU level on decarbonising transport and mobility policies, qualitative and quantitative research on low and zero-emissions mobility and transport poverty, stakeholder and media engagement. In the project they coordinate peer exchanges and policy related activities.
This project is part of the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). EUKI is a project financing instrument by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). The EUKI call for project ideas is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is the overarching goal of the EUKI to foster climate cooperation within the European Union (EU) in order to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.