On climate action, we are acutely aware of the scale of action required to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at pace, which is embedded in our operations through the Unilever Climate Transition Action Plan (PDF 7.98 MB). This roadmap focuses our decarbonisations actions on key areas that can help us realise our ambition of achieving net zero across our value chain by 2039.
One of these key action areas is logistics and distribution, which accounts for approximately 3% of Unilever’s global GHG footprint. In the UK specifically, our supply chain team and logistics partners co-ordinate the delivery of approximately 1.5 billion products to stores across the country every year. Small changes in how we deliver our products every day, can make a big impact.
Here are three ways we’re working with our partners to accelerate the decarbonisation of our logistics network in the UK.
Alternative Fuels: Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO)
Unilever is committed to exploring alternative fuels for haulage. Following successful trials in 2023, last year, in partnership with our transport partners Stobart, we made more than one million kilometres of UK deliveries using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a fuel made from renewable, sustainable raw materials.
This transition away from diesel saved more than 1,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions from entering the atmosphere, with HVO estimated to have CO2e emissions savings of up to 90% versus diesel fuel.
HVO is an important interim alternative fuel which can significantly decrease logistics emissions whilst we await developments in infrastructure for longer-term solutions, such as electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel.Battery-powered: Electric HGVs
In collaboration with Stobart, Unilever has recently invested in access to two Electric HGVs (E-HGVs), as part of the UK Government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID); a scheme designed to address the fact that approximately only 0.3% of UK-registered HGVs are currently electric-powered.
Whilst our initial trial has the potential to save 175 tonnes of CO2e emissions per year, E-HGV’s typically only have a range of around half that of traditional fuels, meaning that scalability is dependent on developments in charging infrastructure.
There is currently only one public E-HGV charging station in the whole of the UK, so we’re working to install an E-HGV charging point at our Cannock Foods and Home Care warehouse later this year to support our continued trial of Electric HGVs.
Last Mile Delivery Solutions: Double Deck Trailers
Reducing the number of vehicles on the road is the most impactful way we can reduce our logistics’ emissions. In partnership with a range of transport partners, we’re using double deck trailers which are able to transport up to 40 pallets compared to the traditional 26, with the aim of reducing our HGV journeys by 4,000 by mid-2026, approximately a 10% reduction.
Alongside this initiative, we’re also trialling the use of longer semi-trailers in our network, which offer a 15% increase in capacity compared to standard trailers.
We believe that sustainability initiatives that also hold a commercial value are key to driving change across the industry, and double deck trailers have the potential to achieve significant savings.
Climate Transition Action Plan
Our Climate Transition Action Plan sets out our actions to lower our emissions by 2030.
