We start with the Brundtland Report’s (1988) definition of the concept of sustainability to analyze key aspects and look at the essence of human nature. We realize that the way to meet people’s needs is key to optimizing their quality of life, integrating us back into nature and achieving the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The strategy that must be followed is the cooperation between the interested parties by bringing the places of residence, work and consumption closer to being able to have meeting spaces in the proximity of neighborhoods, but also within companies, public administrations and non-profit entities. Given that the purpose is to meet basic human needs in the consumer society we have built, we identify the quality of life indicators that allow us to analyze the sustainability of organizations and products throughout their lifecycle. The application of the quality of life indicators can be essential in our individual and collective decisions of everyday purchasing, both public and private, to raise awareness and to build a strong path towards sustainability. It will also help us design sustainable public policies, including public procurement.

The exponential growth of e-commerce, driven in part by the pandemic and new consumer habits, has highlighted the need to rethink the current model of urban freight distribution (UFD). The more online shopping is generated, the more home delivery is required with its implications in terms of operating costs, traffic, parking, and pollution. Urban logistics, and in particular the last mile, have become one of the main focuses of attention for public administrations and logistics operators in order to minimize these externalities. However, there is still a long way to go to optimize the new logistics processes to the requirements of the new distribution channel. Administrations need to start taking action with the help of logistics operators and citizens. These actions must be carried out quickly and in a consensual manner with all the parties involved, as only then will it be possible to define a sustainable urban logistics model that has continuity over time.

Circular economy is an alternative to the linear “extract-use-dispose” economic model, based on the ideas of recycling, repair and reuse. The circular economy promises to turn the trade-offs of unsustainable economic growth in a limited planet into synergies that make sustainability a growth strategy. The knowledge base of the circular economy, however, is highly divided and characterised by controversy over the very possibility of circularity itself. This paper asks why such a controversial idea has gained so much traction in public policies, at the EU level and at lower scales, such as the urban level. Although the focus on win-win solutions was understandable in the context in which the first circular economy policies were formulated in the EU, in the current context this policy framing may obfuscate more than it enlightens by rendering debates about complex sustainability issues technical and apolitical.

In a global and interconnected society, the logistic sector is especially keen to understand the performance of the modern economy. Thanks to their higher level of development, European countries have a privileged position that allows them to face the future with guarantees. Their industry is competitive and its strategic challenges are clear. Supply chain innovation, infrastructure, digitization, networking and integration are key aspects to keep in mind. Public institutions also play a decisive role. They must not only support but also enhance private sector initiatives that may help to ensure global competitiveness. All this also has to be understood in an unstable and volatile context, in which the competences of professionals in the field will undoubtedly be a decisive factor in success in the future.