Deliveroo to pay carbon offset for every delivery
90% of its 8,000 riders across the country undertake deliveries on motorised transport.
Deliveroo will now be paying for all carbon emissions arising from delivery orders made through the platform, the company said in an announcement.
It has purchased carbon offsets for all deliveries over the next two years, which will fund the Bierbank and Lanherne Regeneration Project in Queensland, a controlled burns program in the Cape York Aurukun region as well as offshore wind farm projects.
Deliveroo said it anticipates more than 16,000 tonnes of carbon will be offset over the initial two year commitment, equating it to taking 4,609 vehicles off the road. The offset amount, according to the platform, was developed based on average distances covered by riders using motorised vehicles.
It will be at no cost to restaurants or customers, the platform noted. Currently, 90% of Deliveroo’s 8,000 riders across Australia undertake deliveries on motorised transport, with overall rider growth increasing 25% during the past year.
Recent consumer research commissioned by Deliveroo said Aussie consumers expect brands to “take more action when it comes to protecting the environment”, with 83% saying brands should be taking environmental sustainability more seriously. Two thirds (67%) are in favour of companies making environmental sustainability a “priority in recovery from COVID-19” whilst one in two are choosing to buy from brands due to their environmental sustainability initiatives.
Deliveroo previously established partnerships with reusable plastics company Returnr and eco-friendly packaging company BioPak.
“By carbon offsetting all our deliveries for the next two years, the delivery component of our business will become carbon neutral at no cost to our restaurant partners or customers,” Deliveroo Australia CEO Ed McManus said. “Environmental sustainability needs to be a priority for all of us, and climate action isn’t just a consumer issue - companies need to step up and do their bit.”
