Sustainability
Sustainable Business Practices and Science Based Targets (Reducing Freightways’ Carbon Footprint)
Overview
At Freightways, we recognise that sustainable business practices are fundamental to our future. We strive to minimise the environmental impact of our daily business operations and actively seek and embrace initiatives that protect the environment.
Freightways recognises that its core business is reliant on transportation to service its customers and is therefore an emissions-intensive organisation. Our New Zealand based businesses are TOITŪ carbonreduce certified and audited.
Throughout its operations, Freightways strives to be an environmentally-responsible organisation and as an industry leader, we are determined to play our part in protecting the environment.
Guiding Principles
- We recognise that protecting the environment today is essential to creating a sustainable business future.
- Environmental responsibility is a key component in the overall brand positioning strategies of Freightways’ businesses.
- We actively seek to minimise the environmental impact of Freightways activities.
- We work in partnership with stakeholders to promote good environmental practice.
- We comply with relevant environmental legislation.
- We are a TOITŪ carbonreduce certified and audited organisation. Our greenhouse gas emissions are measured in accordance with ISO 14064-1 and we are committed to managing and reducing our emissions.
- Efficiencies driven from our core business model enable our services to be delivered with as low an environmental impact as possible.
- We regularly review our operational activities, systems and training to ensure our business practices are aligned with the above principles.
Our Science Based Targets – Reducing Carbon Emissions
Our carbon footprint in 2020 was 50,625 tonnes CO2e. Included in this measurement are all New Zealand business units and brands, other than the recently acquired Big Chill business. Big Chill and our Australian business units will be included in future measurements.
Well over 95% of our emissions come from the combustion of transport fuel. This is the fuel we use in our fleet cars, our contracted courier vans and trucks, and the aircraft we use. We are committed to reducing our emissions to levels that support New Zealand’s commitment to the Paris Accord.
Our 2030 target of 33,170 tonnes CO2e (35% reduction) and our 2035 target of 25,313 tonne CO2e (50% reduction) are both science-based, aligning with what society needs to achieve globally to keep global warming to between 1.5°C and 2°C.
Much of our footprint sits in our supply chain, namely the contractors we partner with and the targets above apply their GHG emissions as well as our own direct emissions. We are actively engaging with our contractors and other suppliers on ways we can work together to bring emissions across the supply chain down. Procurement decisions are influenced by opportunities to decarbonise our supply chain.
Our reduction strategies focus on driving greater efficiencies; maintaining modern fleets; a move away from fossil fuel consumption; electrification of our road fleet over time; and a more fuel efficient air fleet in the future.
As certified participants in TOITŪ’s carbonreduce programme, our footprint is disclosed annually on the TOITŪ website. We also disclose our footprint and targets in our Annual and Sustainability Reports.
PUBLISHED – MARCH 2021