Parcel delivery firm Evri cuts carbon emissions by nearly a third and steps up e-cargo bikes push

Evri says that it has reduced its operational carbon emissions by nearly a third in the parcel delivery firm’s financial year to February 2023, as part of a wider investment in its environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy. 

This 31% reduction includes efficiency improvements, augmented use of renewable energy and other carbon emission elimination strategies, as part of a commitment to reaching net zero for direct and indirect emissions by 2035. 

Evri lays claim to building the biggest green fleet of any dedicated parcel delivery company in the UK in 2022-23, introducing 30 new Bio-CNG tractor units, bringing the total to 190 – representing 52% of its core fleet.

It has also doubled the number of electric vehicles in service in London, bringing EV to 37% of its total van fleet. Evri aims to serve all ParcelShop deliveries, pitched as the most carbon efficient way to send, by EV at the earliest opportunity. 

Fash Sawyerr, Chief Transformation Officer at Evri, says: "We are committed to investing in environmental sustainability as part of our comprehensive ESG strategy. We continue to make strong progress towards reaching our goal of net zero for direct and indirect emissions by 2035.”

“We are also committed to doing the right thing for colleagues with enhanced working conditions, which we are proud to set out in our second ESG report.” 

As part of its exploration of alternative fuels, Evri was the first UK parcel company to trial an electric HGV, and HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) is now the standard at its Brooklands depot in Weybridge.

Following an audit, it also launched an energy efficiency programme, which is now saving more than 13,000kwh per week.

In April, it announced plans to triple its number of parcel deliveries to more than 500,000 a year using electric-cargo bikes.

It delivered about 160,000 parcels to UK customers using e-cargo bikes in the year to February 2023 – with its couriers cycling about 12,200 miles and saving 25.6 tonnes of CO2, based on average final mile CO2 emissions.

The Yorkshire-based firm now expects to deliver more than 500,000 parcels with e-cargo bikes in its current financial year to February 2024.