- Glovo听achieves carbon neutrality across entire value chain just two years after setting goal
- Glovo鈥檚 SBTi-approved decarbonization strategy supports the target of keeping the rise in global average temperature below 1.5C
- Glovo听commits to reduce carbon emissions by more than 42% by 2030 through the increased use of sustainable packaging and non-combustible vehicles, and reduced food surplus
Glovo, one of the world鈥檚 leading multi-category delivery players, today announced that it has achieved its goal of reaching carbon neutrality. Originally setting the target in December 2019,听Glovo听committed to neutralising 100% of its carbon emissions across its entire value听chain, achieving this just two years later at the end of 2021. Moreover, the company has had its emissions reduction targets approved by the听Science Based Targets initiative听as consistent with levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, with reductions required to keep warming to well听below 1.5掳C.
To accomplish carbon neutrality,听Glovo听measured its direct and indirect CO2 emissions to get a better understanding of their source, and how much it would have to offset. Cutbacks in non-sustainable packaging and food waste led to significant reductions in emissions (1,868 tonnes CO2 equivalent in 2021). There was also increased efficiency in delivery and use of electric vehicles, with the percentage within the听Glovo听fleet rising by 2.24% from 2020 to 2021.
To address its remaining carbon emissions,听Glovo听struck听an ongoing partnership听with offset marketplace听Pachama. This involved purchasing 鈥榗arbon credits鈥� that specifically supported the Brazil Nuts Concessions and Madre de Dios forest preservation projects in Peru, and Jari Par谩 Forest Conservation Project in Brazil. Each combined to offset听Glovo鈥檚 carbon footprint by 25% by the end of 2020 (34,321 tonnes CO2 equivalent in 2020).
Through a new partnership with听South Pole听in 2021,听Glovo听has expanded its range of compensation initiatives to cover 100% of emissions across its entire value chain (82,028 tonnes CO2 equivalent in 2021). Some of the compensation projects are located in听Glovo’s markets of operation such as Kenya and Ghana. These consist of forest preservation, sustainable agriculture, energy-efficient cookstoves, renewable energy and much more.
Glovo听isn鈥檛 stopping at carbon neutrality. It has used this milestone to set even more ambitious targets, to significantly reduce its carbon emissions by 2030; including upping sustainable packaging to account for over 92% of its orders, making the bulk of its courier vehicles non-combustible, and sourcing 100% of renewable electricity for its own installations (including cookrooms, offices, micro-fulfillment centres, etc.) by 2030.
Glovo听has set these emission reduction targets through the听Science Based Targets听initiative (SBTi). The targets covering greenhouse gas emissions from听Glovo鈥檚 operations are consistent with reductions required to keep warming to 1.5掳C and include:
- Increasing annual sourcing of听renewable electricity听from听7% in 2020 to 100% by 2030
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions听from its value chain (focusing mainly on food waste, packaging and transportation) by听42.12% by 2030听(with 2020 as a base year)
To achieve such ambitious targets by 2030,听Glovo听has set out the following strategies:
- A听sustainable courier vehicle mix听with more than听67%听being听non-combustion vehicles. Currently, 5 countries have a vehicle fleet with more than 40% non-combustion vehicles: Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Spain
- 30%听of orders to be听bundled听to help听reduce the distance travelled by听couriers
- More than听92%听of orders to use听sustainable packaging.听In 2019,听Glovo听created an e-commerce for SMEs to buy sustainable packaging, enabling purchase of almost 2 million units in 2021 across Spain, Italy, Portugal, Morocco and Croatia
- 10% of orders听to be delivered from听food surplus, addressing food waste issues. In 2021 alone, more than 300,000kg of food waste was saved, whilst the equivalent of more than 579,000 meals were delivered through听Glovo听Access)
S茅bastien Pellion, Head of Social Impact & Sustainability at听Glovo, said:听鈥淎chieving our goal of becoming carbon neutral is the start of our climate journey at听Glovo. We believe it鈥檚 the minimum any company should do to ensure they remain in business long-term on our planet. We are grateful to companies like Pachama that make it possible to offset our carbon emissions in a reliable way, thanks to their innovative technology using AI and satellite imagery to verify reliability of reforestation projects.”
鈥淭oday we are taking our action on climate change to the next level with the announcement of the validation of听our carbon emission reduction targets by SBTi. This ambitious but realistic plan will enable us to decouple our growth from the carbon emissions of our entire value chain. It will ensure that climate change mitigation remains a core component of our overall strategy, and sets out a clear roadmap for all teams at听Glovo听to reduce their carbon footprint. We鈥檙e excited by the challenge we have ahead to transform our operations so platform companies like ours become part of the solution to limit global warming to 1.5掳C by the end of the century.鈥�
Additionally,听Glovo听is a part of the UN Global Compact Climate Ambition Accelerator and听an official signatory听of听The Climate Pledge听(TCP) making a commitment to decarbonizing and reaching net-zero by 2040 or sooner.
