The environmental footprint of e-commerce in modern conditions

Abstract

The article is devoted to studying the ecological impact of e-commerce on the environment and the theoretical aspect of setting and applying sustainable development goals in this sector. As part of the work, an analysis of the growing trend of digital business model research was carried out, considering the three main goals of sustainable development. The relevance of the research is due to the rapid changes in the world, which must be responded to to provide for future generations. Such research methods were used as abstraction, synthesis, empirical research methods, the Scopus information platform's resource base, comparison method, graphic interpretation, and the VosViewer program. The article considered the main opinions of scientists regarding electronic commerce. A bibliographic analysis from the Scopus scientometric database is shown. The relationship between «e-commerce» and «sustainable development» was investigated. The dependence of Internet users over time on social network users from 2012 to 2022 was shown. This dependence was shown in the context of the growth of digital sales, which reflects trends in e-commerce, where the parallel development of Internet users and social networks took place. According to the graph, the equation of direct dependence is given and the coefficient of multiple determination - R2 is determined. In addition, it is determined to increase sales of goods worldwide with ecological delivery and ecological packaging. The implementation of environmentally friendly packaging and delivery not only contributes to the preservation of the environment, but also positively affects the image of the company, making it more attractive to customers who support sustainability and environmental responsibility. It also showed shoppers' appreciation of green alternatives for e-commerce packaging and found that people are willing to pay more for green shipping. The results of the study allow company managers and buyers to adhere to the goals of sustainable development.