Parcel delivery service and franchise CouriersPlease has set an ambitious environmental target, for the business to be carbon neutral by 2025.
CouriersPlease (CP) comprises more than 750 franchisees whose network covers 95 per cent of Australia. In 2019 alone, it delivered more than 20 million parcels.
Already since June this year by taking steps to tackle emissions it has taken the equivalent of 241 cars off the road.
By June 2021, CP will have prevented offset emissions equivalent to not burning 1546 tonnes of coal, 1.7 million litres of petrol, nearly 14 million kilometres off the road, and 540 laps around the Australian coastline.
CP has just received a LowCO2 Certification from carbon consulting company, The Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI).
This is a standard that sets annual CO2 reduction targets for organisations seeking to gradually cut back their carbon emissions over a period of time.
The franchise is slicing its carbon emissions across waste, energy use, staff travel and flights.
Since 1 July, CP has, and will continue to, offset 10 per cent of emissions related to last-mile deliveries performed by their franchisees, which is in addition to offsetting its operational emissions.
Paul Roper, chief commercial officer at CP cited the delivery app, CPGo, which ensures franchisees drive to an optimised pickup and delivery route.
“Over time, their vehicles will also adopt new technologies and emission-savings tools to minimise emissions further,” he explained.
While freight contributes to a business’ carbon footprint, CRI has found that this commonly accounts for 5-10 per cent of the carbon footprint of a product, with the product itself having a more significant impact than the delivery method.
Roper said “CP is committed to becoming a carbon-neutral carrier and lead by example in the industry and the business sector. We are low CO2 certified, and have commenced offsetting all operational emissions in an approved Certified Carbon Standard Project, the world’s most widely used program for voluntary emissions reduction.”
The business is adopting green procurement, which focuses purchasing decisions not on cost but on reviewing the complete lifecycle of goods and services.
“As a result, we’ll see benefits including more efficient and effective use of natural resources, and a reduction in the harmful impact of pollution and waste,” he said.
“Sustainability is becoming important to consumers, and online retailers are becoming conscious of the need to work with eco-friendly shipping and fulfilment partners who share the same values.
“We all have a role to play in a greener future, and this starts with businesses understanding what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint.
“We encourage other organisations to review their carbon emissions and create an environmental action plan, so they too can contribute to climate change action. This is a really exciting time for CP and our customers as we play a part in delivering a greener future.”
