On-demand courier app Glovo has begun offsetting carbon emissions from its last mile deliveries as it seeks net zero emissions by the end of 2021.
The Spain-based start-up is purchasing 30,000 tonnes of carbon credits from Pachama, which will undertake reforestation projects on its behalf. This will offset around 25% of the company’s overall emissions.
Glovo plans to offset 100% of carbon emissions across its whole supply chain by the end of 2021. As well as offsetting emissions, the company will offer services such as food waste management, order bundling and offering partners sustainable packaging.
Sébastien Pellion, head of social impact at Glovo, said: “We’re a company fully committed to tackling sustainability challenges and actively extricating our growth from our carbon emissions. It’s something that we care about deeply. This partnership represents the first step on the pathway to carbon neutrality for Glovo, which is our long-term aim, but we’re always searching for innovative new ways to responsibly reduce our emissions output.”
Sacha Michaud, co-founder of Glovo, said: “We’re currently living through an unprecedented and challenging time with the COVID-19 crisis, but if the pandemic has taught us anything it’s the importance of taking action before it’s too late. If we’re to stand any chance of preventing the worst impacts of climate change then we must be proactive in addressing the problem.
“As a company, we want to lead by example. We’ve grown very quickly over a short period of time — making millions of deliveries worldwide every month — and offsetting and reducing our carbon emissions is a core component of our sustainability strategy. As a founder, I’m very proud to announce that we’re neutralising our greenhouse gas emissions from deliveries, and this highlights our global commitment to a more sustainable future for our customers and communities.
“We’re very excited to be working with Pachama, a company that shares our passion for preserving the planet and is dedicated to reforestation, conservation and achieving a reduction in emissions that is so critical to slowing the rate of climate change.”
Glovo has won new partnerships with supermarkets DIA and Carrefour as the latter sought ways to scale up grocery delivery quickly during the pandemic.