Sustainability In The Merchant Industry Statistics 2026

With global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels up 1.1% in 2023 to 36.8 billion tonnes, merchant leaders are being pushed to quantify more than intent and prove decarbonization through logistics, products, and reporting. Transport alone accounts for 33% of total emissions, while the EU CSRD ties disclosure structure to ESRS standards and even the transition to CBAM adds embedded emissions to the checklist.

Key Takeaways

1.5°C is the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement, limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C—relevant to merchant decarbonization targets
33% of total emissions come from transport (including passenger and freight)—important for merchant logistics planning
66% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are carbon dioxide (CO2)—key for merchant Scope 1/2 reporting
The EU CSRD uses ESRS standards (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) for sustainability reporting structure—impacting merchant disclosure metrics
GHG Protocol Scope 3 includes 15 categories of upstream and downstream emissions—quantifying what merchants must measure in supplier and product-use chains
ISSB publishes IFRS S1 (General Requirements) and IFRS S2 (Climate-related Disclosures)—the framework adopted by many sustainability reporters, including merchants
In 2023, global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels were 1.1% higher than 2022, reaching 36.8 billion tonnes CO2—trend pressure on supply-chain emissions
In the EU, companies reported 1.7 million environmental compliance decisions annually (avg)—illustrating a compliance workload in environmental regulation affecting trade and merchants
25% of global waste is plastics—relevant for packaging and material reduction initiatives by merchants
58% of shoppers prefer retailers that offer sustainable delivery options (e.g., lower-carbon shipping)—important for merchant last-mile logistics
6.3% of global logistics cost is spent on fuel, making fuel-efficiency a direct sustainability and cost lever for merchants’ freight
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that reducing methane can have substantial near-term warming benefits—supporting merchant methane-reducing initiatives
Energy efficiency improvements in buildings can reduce energy use by 20–30% globally—relevant to merchant retail store and warehouse energy projects
The EU Circular Economy Action Plan targets a higher recycling rate for packaging waste, including 65% packaging recycling by 2025 (EU packaging targets in the directive framework)
The US generates about 292 million tons of waste per year (2018 baseline), providing context for landfill diversion opportunities for merchants

Paris goals and rising emissions make transport decarbonization and smarter reporting urgent for merchants.

01 · Category

Policy & Targets8 stats

1.5°C is the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement, limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C—relevant to merchant decarbonization targets

33% of total emissions come from transport (including passenger and freight)—important for merchant logistics planning

66% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are carbon dioxide (CO2)—key for merchant Scope 1/2 reporting

12,000+ companies were already under the Non-Financial Reporting Directive before CSRD expansion—showing the scale of sustainability disclosure obligations in Europe

EU ETS covers about 40% of EU greenhouse gas emissions—relevant for merchant operations and logistics emitting sectors

2023 was the start of the EU CBAM transitional period—merchants had to start reporting embedded emissions during the transition

Target 12.3: reduce food loss and waste by half by 2030—relevant to merchants in food supply chains and retail operations

Target 13.3: mobilize climate finance and improve climate education and awareness—supports sustainability investments by merchants globally

Interpretation

Policy & Targets Interpretation

Across Policy and Targets, the European policy momentum is clear as transport drives 33% of emissions and the EU regulatory net expands from the EU ETS covering about 40% of emissions to the 2023 start of CBAM transitional reporting, all while the Paris 1.5°C goal anchors merchant decarbonization expectations.

02 · Category

Measurement & Reporting9 stats

The EU CSRD uses ESRS standards (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) for sustainability reporting structure—impacting merchant disclosure metrics

GHG Protocol Scope 3 includes 15 categories of upstream and downstream emissions—quantifying what merchants must measure in supplier and product-use chains

ISSB publishes IFRS S1 (General Requirements) and IFRS S2 (Climate-related Disclosures)—the framework adopted by many sustainability reporters, including merchants

The GHG Protocol estimates that for many companies, Scope 3 emissions can be the majority of total emissions—making measurement critical for merchants

SFDR requires sustainability disclosures for financial market participants under EU rules, influencing merchant investor and asset-manager expectations for ESG data

EU Taxonomy Regulation sets criteria for environmentally sustainable economic activities—used to validate merchant activities for “green” claims and investment

The EU EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) framework supports quantified environmental impact metrics per product—used by merchants for product-level reporting

The EU’s Battery Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1542) requires a battery carbon footprint declaration—relevant to merchants selling devices containing batteries

ISO 14001 is the international standard for environmental management systems; it is used worldwide to systematize environmental measurement and continual improvement

Interpretation

Measurement & Reporting Interpretation

For the measurement and reporting category, merchants are increasingly expected to quantify far more than direct emissions because GHG Protocol Scope 3 covers 15 upstream and downstream categories and can represent the majority of total emissions, driving wider use of CSRD, ISSB, and product level tools to make those figures comparable.

03 · Category

Industry Trends4 stats

In 2023, global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels were 1.1% higher than 2022, reaching 36.8 billion tonnes CO2—trend pressure on supply-chain emissions

In the EU, companies reported 1.7 million environmental compliance decisions annually (avg)—illustrating a compliance workload in environmental regulation affecting trade and merchants

25% of global waste is plastics—relevant for packaging and material reduction initiatives by merchants

7 in 10 organizations reported using digital tools to manage sustainability reporting—indicating adoption of sustainability tech in merchant operations

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

As Industry Trends, sustainability pressure is rising fast with global fossil fuel CO2 up 1.1% in 2023 to 36.8 billion tonnes, while merchants also face major regulatory and waste challenges alongside growing momentum for digital reporting tools used by 7 in 10 organizations.

04 · Category

Customer & Demand1 stats

58% of shoppers prefer retailers that offer sustainable delivery options (e.g., lower-carbon shipping)—important for merchant last-mile logistics

Interpretation

Customer & Demand Interpretation

For the Customer & Demand angle, 58% of shoppers say they prefer retailers with sustainable delivery options, making eco friendly last mile logistics a clear driver of purchase decisions.

05 · Category

Cost & Returns6 stats

6.3% of global logistics cost is spent on fuel, making fuel-efficiency a direct sustainability and cost lever for merchants’ freight

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that reducing methane can have substantial near-term warming benefits—supporting merchant methane-reducing initiatives

Energy efficiency improvements in buildings can reduce energy use by 20–30% globally—relevant to merchant retail store and warehouse energy projects

LED lighting can cut electricity use for lighting by 50–80% compared with incandescent—relevant to merchant store retrofits

Waste reduction initiatives can reduce disposal costs; in US commerce, landfill diversion programs can reduce waste management spend by meaningful margins—using diversion to lower costs for merchant facilities

23% of retail inventory is predicted to be out of stock globally in some seasons without improved forecasting—sustainability impacts via waste and markdown reduction

Interpretation

Cost & Returns Interpretation

With global logistics fuel at 6.3% of costs and retail energy and waste levers like 50–80% lower lighting electricity use and landfill diversion that cuts waste management spend, merchants can improve sustainability while directly protecting returns.

Sustainability In IndustrySustainability In The Heavy Industry Statistics

06 · Category

Waste & Circularity2 stats

The EU Circular Economy Action Plan targets a higher recycling rate for packaging waste, including 65% packaging recycling by 2025 (EU packaging targets in the directive framework)

The US generates about 292 million tons of waste per year (2018 baseline), providing context for landfill diversion opportunities for merchants

Interpretation

Waste & Circularity Interpretation

For waste and circularity in merchant operations, the EU’s push for 65% packaging recycling by 2025 signals rising momentum to cut packaging waste, while the US baseline of about 292 million tons of waste per year underscores the scale of landfill diversion opportunities.

07 · Category

Risk, Compliance & Reporting1 stats

The US SEC issued climate-related disclosure rulemaking in March 2024 proposing requirements for registrants, increasing compliance expectations for large merchant public companies (rule status: proposed)

Interpretation

Risk, Compliance & Reporting Interpretation

In March 2024, the US SEC proposed climate-related disclosure rules that would raise compliance expectations for large merchant public companies, signaling a clear shift toward greater risk, compliance, and reporting scrutiny.

08 · Category

Emissions & Footprints1 stats

A 2023 study found that switching to renewable electricity can reduce operational electricity emissions by up to 80% for participating facilities, enabling major Scope 2 reductions for merchant warehouses and stores

Interpretation

Emissions & Footprints Interpretation

In the Emissions and Footprints category, a 2023 study shows that switching merchant facilities to renewable electricity can cut operational electricity emissions by up to 80%, delivering major Scope 2 reductions for warehouses and stores.

09 · Category

Market Size & Growth1 stats

Global e-commerce represented about 19% of retail sales in 2021 (CAGR afterward varies by country), increasing parcel volumes and making last-mile decarbonization more important for merchants

Interpretation

Market Size & Growth Interpretation

With global e-commerce making up about 19% of retail sales in 2021 and continuing to expand through varying country-level growth, the market for merchant-led sustainability is growing fast and is raising the urgency of last-mile decarbonization.

Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA

Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Sustainability In The Merchant Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-merchant-industry-statistics

MLA

Catherine Wu. "Sustainability In The Merchant Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-merchant-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Catherine Wu. 2026. "Sustainability In The Merchant Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-merchant-industry-statistics.