How is Carbon-Neutral Sendle Electrifying SME Shipping?

Sendle is an Australian shipping carrier company designed to serve small businesses in the ecommerce space.
The company is the first national 100% carbon-neutral shipping carrier in Australia, the US and Canada, earning it a B-Corp certification. It offers affordable shipping, utilising smart technology to streamline shipping, making it greener and better for the world.
Sendle's latest investments of US$100,000 will mark the launch of a new pilot fund to transition the world to more sustainable shipping. The fund will be dedicated to incentivising carriers in its network to convert to EVs and reduce carbon emissions.
The Future Fleet Fund is designed to help drivers, especially small businesses, who struggle with the initial costs associated with purchasing an EV and charging infrastructure.
A global first, the fund specifically targets the conversion of small parcel delivery services and builds on Sendle's 10-year commitment to sustainable shipping.
The pilot fund will be rolled out to selected suppliers and is the first step towards an annual programme. If successful the pilot find has potential to scale in the future to more partners and investors to decarbonise shipping and accelerate the industry towards net zero.
“When it comes to shipping, the biggest emissions are from the delivery vehicles themselves,” comments Veena Harbaugh, Director of Sustainability at Sendle.
“While EV delivery vans are cheaper to run in the long run, their higher upfront costs still lead most businesses to buy diesel or gas vehicles. The Future Fleet Fund creates a mechanism for Sendle’s carriers to decarbonise and bridge the gap on the initial investment and operational challenges associated with EV adoption.”
How will the fund work?
Suppliers will submit bids for vehicle conversion funding to participate, including details of the vehicles they are looking to replace or purchase, as well as vehicle usage and days in operation.
Sendle will evaluate the bids based on the potential carbon avoidance impact for the amount of funds required. Awarded carriers must provide documentation of EV purchase and commit to ongoing reporting of vehicle usage.
The Future Fleet Fund will become the centrepiece of Sendle’s ongoing sustainability and environment initiatives.
“Sendle’s deep environmental ethos goes all the way back to the very beginning of the company. Since 2014, we’ve been taking accountability for the carbon emissions that are being released through our network of carriers. The Future Fleet Fund is a way of advancing our goal towards net zero shipping and delivering better rates and services for small businesses,” adds Veena.
What does this mean for global supply chains?
The launch of Sendle’s Future Fleet Fund will be a game changer for global logistics. The fund will help small businesses transition to more sustainable practices, reducing emissions in last-mile delivery.
The investment will help to accelerate EV adoption in global logistics, setting a precedent for other shipping firms. With last-mile delivery being a major emissions source, this type of funding model could drive industry-wide decarbonisation, particularly benefiting small businesses.
Beyond sustainability, EVs reduce fuel and maintenance costs, making green shipping more affordable. If successful, this model could encourage wider industry adoption, push for more government incentives and strengthen supply chain resilience by reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
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