Covid-19 and the climate wave have accelerated the green digitalization of society and the way companies operate. The housing associations and the real estate industry are in the middle of this storm – with residents increasingly demanding home delivery, but who are also contributing to increased transport and emissions, in and around residential areas. With a government that has set itself a goal of a 35-40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 2030, there's an increased demand for polluting home delivery. This has become an important puzzle that must be solved quickly.

Two opposites working against each other?

The growth in e-commerce has reached new heights during the corona pandemic. The demand from residents to have goods delivered right on their doorstep has had the steepest growth of all, and as Anne Frøberg from Statistics Norway writes; "The corona measures seem to have affected Norwegians' shopping behaviour". (Source: Virke.no)

On the other hand and at the same time, we see that consumers are increasingly demanding climate-friendly products and solutions. This is especially true among younger consumers. Interestingly - it is the same group of consumers who increase the turnover on home delivery of goods and online shopping. Is this not contrary to all reason? Buying clothes online that are produced on the opposite side of the planet, instead of shopping locally or buying second-hand – at the same time as you want the goods delivered right to your door by a polluting mail van in the middle of rush hour – because that is when one is at home to open the door. At the same time, young consumers expect the large energy companies, like Equinor, to invest heavily in renewable energy.

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Increased shipping = increased CO2 emissions

The increase in the transport of goods and services has major negative consequences on the environment. It is especially the value chains from producer to stores, and not at least to reach the consumer, where the large CO2 emissions take place (Source: Energi og klima).

The trend where the consumer prefers to have the goods delivered all the way home, at the same time as they want a sustainable society, is a puzzle that must be solved. This must preferably happen quickly, as our planet really needs a detox of its lungs.

Failed deliveries are expensive, for both industry and community

For the puzzle to be solved, the logistics industry must reduce its emissions related to home delivery – where manual key management is one of the biggest contributors to failed deliveries. An example is emissions related to driving in rush hour traffic, because delivery couriers can only deliver goods when residents are awake and at home to open the door. Or as it happens, failed deliveries because the resident isn't home after all. When this happens, the parcel is transported to a package pick up-point, which results in even further emissions from driving. Manual handing over of keys between couriers is also a major contributor to the emissions. These factors all contribute to holding on to a solution that is no longer sustainable for today's society.

Increase security with new solutions

The second disadvantage when logistics companies gain access to the housing company's physical keys is the security aspect. Wandering keys can result in theft and burglary, as well as subsequent replacement of locking systems. This can quickly become a costly affair for a housing association. The missing piece in the puzzle lies in moving the keychain to the mobile and gathering all mobile key administration in one solution. This is where Unloc comes in. Figures from the Department of Transport Economics show that goods delivery late at night and at night, made possible via mobile keys, reduces local emissions by 40% (NOx and PM) and CO2 emissions by 20% (Source here).

Mobile keys = freedom

Moving the keys to the smartphone facilitates that residents can order goods and services from their phones and have the goods delivered on the doormat, into their homes or in the garage – without having to move from the couch or even the beachfront. Residents do not have to be physically at home to wait for a delivery anymore. Mobile keys simply increases freedom. By easily sharing keys with postmen or service providers, either permanently or temporarily, residents get a solution that simplifies their everyday life – just as easy as sending a text message. This also gives the board of a housing association greater control and security as they can see who has access to the building's common doors at any given time. The board can easily remove access to the common doors whenever it's needed.

Unloc brings together all the various smart lock players that have traditionally operated with closed systems – into one open system. In this way, housing associations, boards and residents only need to deal with one solution. And one app.

People, Planet, Profit

More and more housing associations and housing companies are choosing to collaborate with partners who focus on the three Ps; People, Planet, Profit. Major players such as OBOS and USBL have therefore, together with Unloc, created key concepts that enable greener neighborhoods and cities that ensure better living conditions in homes – both today and in the future.

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