This is the English translation of a podcast interview conducted in Italian by radio VENETO24 on Friday May 29, 2026
The Logistics of the Future as told by Interporto Padova and Green Logistics Expo. Good morning everyone, I am Riccardo Sandre, and I am here with you for the second episode of “Logistics of the Future.” Today we will talk about sustainability, a concept as important as it is often trivialized. In the logistics of the future, sustainability is fundamental for ethical and social reasons, but also for economic ones. Protecting the planet and improving working conditions also reduces risks and increases the value of companies.
Over 25% of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe come from transport, and a significant share of a company’s operating costs is linked to the efficiency of supply chains. More than 80% of Italian logistics companies are involved in the green transition, and nearly 50% have launched initiatives in this direction through efficient transport, renewable energy, innovative technologies, and more responsible processes. Despite global uncertainty and the war in Iran highlighting a deep dependence on hydrocarbons, sustainability remains a necessity. We are discussing this with Daniele Testi, president of the SOS Logistica association and founder of Piano 23, an international logistics expert and a pioneer in sustainability and innovation.
Riccardo Sandre: “Dr. Testi, first of all, good morning, how are you?”
Daniele Testi: “Thank you very much, good morning, and thank you for this invitation.”
Riccardo Sandre: “The first question, President, is that you have been pushing for this new cultural revolution for 20 years—considering sustainability an opportunity rather than an obstacle, regardless of our collective responsibilities toward the planet. What is the situation today in the logistics sector?”
Daniele Testi: “Well, I don’t push alone; I push together with many colleagues in the association and those who care about the future of this sector. The situation has certainly changed compared to 20 years ago, when sustainability and logistics seemed like incompatible terms and were perceived only as additional costs. Now, many companies understand that sustainability is about efficiency, resilience, and competitiveness. When we talk about reducing empty kilometers, optimizing loads, and digitalizing processes, we are not just helping the environment but also improving economic margins and customer service. We have moved from ‘cost’ to ‘value creation.’ However, we are not at an equilibrium yet; there are challenges regarding energy, supply chain fragmentation, and the difficulty of building an internal sustainability culture.”
Riccardo Sandre: “When we talk about sustainability, we often think of ‘hardware’—trucks, railways, warehouses. But how much weight does ‘software’—digitalization, AI, and data management—have?”
Daniele Testi: “It weighs a lot and will weigh even more. I interpret ‘software’ from two perspectives: data and governance models. Logistics is efficiency, and we need to govern information in bytes to transform it into added value. In Italy, the average size of companies often prevents continuous innovation and investment. While the focus on data is a magnificent lever to implement the efficiency offered by new technologies, we lack a systemic approach and a general culture of information. Large multinationals have the resources to risk failure in innovation, but small companies cannot afford to fail and tend to merely follow these technologies.”
Riccardo Sandre: “What about greenwashing? How much does this practice damage the sector and the green transition?”
Daniele Testi: “Greenwashing creates mistrust. It is a perverse mechanism, often born from an error due to a lack of knowledge or a simplified approach rather than deliberate deception. While new laws are increasingly protecting consumers, this impacts logistics indirectly through the companies that produce consumer goods. Logistics is a determining element of the sustainability performance of products. We need greater transparency and to remember that logistics is not just a process but an interconnected system of stakeholders. Currently, e-commerce developments sometimes tend to hide logistics rather than highlight it as a value-added element for the final customer.”
Riccardo Sandre: “Very quickly, could you tell us what path a logistics company should take to seriously address the green transition?”
Daniele Testi: “Integrate sustainability into the business strategy. Often, organizational models are too focused on short-term profit and loss results. We need new indicators and must commit to measuring things we didn’t know how to measure before. In 90% of cases, this measurement transforms into an opportunity by decreasing risks related to regulations and energy costs. Furthermore, your positioning will increasingly depend on demonstrating a lower impact to both clients and the financial world, which is looking beyond the income statement to social and environmental capital.”
Riccardo Sandre: “President, we have very few seconds left, but I wanted to ask: you will be at the Green Logistics Expo with both SOS Logistica and Piano 23. Can you preview your initiatives?”
Daniele Testi: “With SOS Logistica, we will have a ‘village’ with many members, replicating our vertical workshops and an institutional conference. With Piano 23, we want to bring our sustainable logistics podcast. This is a preview: if you have good ideas, we are ready to listen and put them online.”
Riccardo Sandre: “Thank you to Daniele Testi. Stay with ‘The Logistics of the Future.’ See you in the next episode.”
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