At Sendle, we work to deliver a brighter future with millions of thriving small businesses. Key to that is levelling the playing field so small businesses have access to better rates and services, and the other critical piece is making the deliveries better for the planet.
We've been carbon neutral since day one, but we know that's not enough to address climate change and minimise harm to people and the planet, so we’ve aligned with the most rigorous standard to track our progress to net zero.
“Sendle commits to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2040.”~ Veena Harbaugh, Director of Sustainability
Skip ahead to see what we're doing, but first we have a few suggestions about how you can easily reduce greenhouse gas emissions through your shipping choices.
Efficient transport is good for the planet and your bottom line
To maximise positive impact, we build solutions that benefit our customers and the environment. Here are a few ways to help your business and the planet. Next time you are booking deliveries, think about:
- Selecting land transport rather than air when it is offered.
- Taking a slower option for less urgent deliveries, for example when offering return shipping to customers.
- Instituting dedicated shipping days which will reduce the overall amount of energy it takes to pack and send those parcels.
- Using the right size packaging for your parcels helps with load utilisation and keeps shipping costs down. Make use of our 500g satchels and 250g pouches for small items and you’ll get the best price while you help the environment.
Our commitment to net zero is a benefit, not a cost to customers. While you focus on your business, we’ll do the heavy lifting towards eliminating greenhouse gases. And whether you come to us because you want the best price, or because we're the most sustainable option, we’re dedicated to serving you in the same way.
Sendle’s net zero commitment
We’re proud to be the first 100% carbon-neutral nation-wide shipping service in Australia, Canada, and the US. But for a truly bright future, we can’t stop there, that’s why we’ve been working on our strategy to become net zero across all of our operations.
We first took on a net zero ambition with 500 other B Corps setting a 2030 target through The B Corp Climate Collective. However, since then a new standard and organisation, the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), has emerged as the most rigorous and transparent net zero standard to follow. The B Corp campaign is no longer administering net zero commitments and encourages companies to follow the standards of the SBTi.
Sendle is now following the recommendations of the SBTi, which means our pace of climate action and carbon reductions is dictated by what will make a difference to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. Science-based targets which are in line with what the latest climate science deems necessary to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
These new targets account for all the greenhouse gases that result from our business activities across our value chain and will drive decarbonization and business transformation.
“Sendle commits to reduce Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions 48.3% per parcel shipped by 2030, and 98% per parcel shipped by 2040, from a baseline of emissions per parcel in 2021.”~ Veena Harbaugh, Director of Sustainability
Over the last year, our team has developed a detailed roadmap to take us to net zero as we continue to scale and open up new markets. Building on our progress to date in being carbon neutral, we are now aiming for net zero, which means the focus is on the elimination of greenhouse gases rather than offsetting.
To determine if a 2040 long-term target was achievable, we first conducted a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory for 2021 and then identified, quantified, and evaluated the reduction potential of various interventions that can reduce the carbon intensity of Sendle’s operations and parcel network. The roadmap developed from this research factors in projected business growth and interventions over time, in order to achieve our target intensity reduction by 2030 and the more ambitious 97% physical intensity by 2040.
Key elements of the Net-Zero Standard. Source: SBTi
Driving industry change
Setting new targets for ourselves is good for the industry overall and that’s why we have invested heavily in researching emissions across all aspects of transportation. As our business expands, moving parcels in the US will be the most significant contributor to emissions, and we intend to tackle those greenhouse gas emissions by decarbonising road transport and improving parcel transportation efficiency.
As Sendle currently leads the pack in terms of sustainability, we are in a good position to influence this activity, and working with major carriers to implement greenhouse gas emission strategies is key to our success.
Some carriers are already on this path. With uncertainty in the fossil fuel market, it makes sense to move to renewable energy or on-site generation, and corporations are doing this to remain profitable as well as to help the environment. Recent studies show the total cost of an electric delivery van is lower than an internal combustion delivery van, and hydrogen is a viable option for long-haul heavy trucks, so fleets will start to change over as these new technologies continue to be developed.
Sendle can create incentives for the carriers to improve their operations by offering volume to those that make the switch. We can also work with them to achieve more efficient load utilisation because improving load utilisation decreases the overall carbon intensity. These changes are not going to happen overnight, but they will happen, and every improvement brings us closer to the net zero target.
As you can see, creating a brighter future will mean massive changes across the industry as we all pull together to get this done. The good news for you is that there’s no trade-off between price and sustainability at Sendle but choosing Sendle gives you the added benefit of being the best choice for the planet.
