Digitalization and decarbonization in last-mile logistics: a life cycle assessment of proof of delivery systems

Reducing emissions in last-mile logistics is a growing priority, and digitalization is widely viewed as a pathway to greater efficiency and decarbonization. Proof of Delivery (POD) is central to digital transformation, yet its environmental impacts remain underexplored from a life cycle assessment (LCA) perspective. This study conducts a comparative LCA of four POD configurations—paper-based, digitally scanned, AI-assisted, and blockchain-integrated—using data from a Taiwanese third-party logistics provider. We quantify cradle-to-grave emissions from materials, energy use, and digital infrastructure, including AI inference and blockchain operations. The paper-based system shows the highest footprint (222.3 gCO2e/transaction). Digital scanning reduces emissions by 78.0%, AI-assisted systems by 73.0%, and blockchain-enabled systems by 63.8%, reflecting high consensus energy demand. A hybrid approach—retaining paper at delivery while digitizing back-office processes through AI-supported optical character recognition—emerges as a pragmatic transition pathway. These findings provide transaction-level LCA evidence to inform scalable decarbonization strategies in last-mile logistics.