Glovo announces Pachama carbon neutrality partnership

Barcelona-based on-demand delivery startup Glovo has partnered with carbon credit marketplace, Pachama, to offset carbon emissions from cars and motorbikes. 

It will purchase an initial 30,000 tonnes of carbon credits — certificates representing one tonne of carbon dioxide or the mass of another greenhouse gas (GHG) — from Pachama for verified forest carbon projects.

The company, which has emerged as a major player in online food delivery over the last few years, with more than $510 million in VC backing, says that this will offset its carbon footprint by 25% by the end of 2020. 

Glovo’s long-term strategy is to offset 100% of carbon emissions across its entire value chain, from procurement to end-of-life products sold through the app, before the end of 2021.

It is also aiming to reduce its GHG emissions through initiatives including food waste management, order-bundling, providing partners with sustainable packaging and supplying couriers with backpacks made from recycled and fully recyclable materials.

Diego Saz-Gil, Founder, Pachama, says: “We already know that deforestation has a negative impact on climate change and the wildlife that thrive in these forests. But, it's now clear that deforestation has a real and tangible impact on human health too, through increased risk of virus spillover.”

“Reforestation and conservation are critical, not only as a solution to climate change but also for sustaining human and animal health. We are excited to partner with Glovo to help enable its carbon neutrality ambitions through verified forest carbon credits. This partnership is our first in Europe and an important milestone in advancing transparency and accountability of  carbon markets globally.”

Sébastien Pellion, Head of Social Impact at Glovo, adds: “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.” 

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