The Carbon Cost of Lockdown 2.0 and Black Friday Sales in 2020: 

The personal finance experts at money.co.uk have investigated how much CO2 could be produced by the millions of packages set to be delivered across the country due to lockdown 2.0 shop closures. 

Online shopping on Black Friday this year is predicted to release around 429,000 tonnes of carbon emissions into the atmosphere – equivalent to 435 return flights from London to New York and the same weight as 61,308 elephants.

How carbon-conscious are the UK’s online shoppers?

• Shoppers aged over 45 are more thrifty when it comes to online shopping, with 80% of those in the 45-54 and 55+ age groups admitting to looking for free delivery. 
• Men are more impatient when shopping online with 38% of men admitting they look for next-day delivery compared to 33% of women. 
• However, women are more price-conscious when it comes to online shopping. Three-quarters of women (75.82%) look for free delivery, compared to just 67% of men. 
• 45% of online shoppers say that the delivery company used by an online retailer impacts their purchasing decisions
• 42% of shoppers said they do not feel environmental guilt when purchasing items online but they have thought about it compared to 32% that state they do not feel guilt and have never thought about it. 
• 20% of respondents stated they would not pay any money to offset an individual online purchase with 17% stating they would pay between £1 and £2 to offset an online purchase 

If you’d like to use the research, please credit money.co.uk with a link to their Dirty Delivery report here: https://www.money.co.uk/guides/dirty-delivery-report-2020 

Below, I’ve pasted the report for more detailed insight.

DIRTY DELIVERY REPORT: THE CARBON COST OF ONLINE SHOPPING

• Deliveries from Black Friday shopping are expected to release over 429,000 tonnes of carbon emissions into the atmosphere*
• Just 1 in 10 shoppers consider the environmental impact of deliveries of their online purchases**
• Hermes is predicted to produce the most CO2 from Black Friday deliveries; 58,313 tonnes of CO2
• Amazon could process 5.1 million Black Friday transactions which could result in 18,854 tonnes of CO2  
• One in three (35%) of consumers opt for next day delivery when making a purchase online which can be the least carbon-efficient 
• The Dirty Delivery Report can be found here: https://www.money.co.uk/guides/dirty-delivery-report-2020 

Online shopping this Black Friday is expected to break records but at what cost to the environment? The personal finance experts at money.co.uk have investigated how much CO2 could be produced by the millions of packages set to be delivered across the country.

The Dirty Delivery Report, analyses the environmental credentials of the top delivery firms, the number of packages they are predicted to deliver, and the carbon produced by each delivery.

After crunching numbers the experts predict that, with sales estimated to rise by at least 14% vs last year***, Black Friday 2020 could be responsible for 429,000 tonnes of carbon emissions; equivalent to 435 return flights from London to New York.

How the big five delivery companies contribute to carbon creation:

Source: Money.co.uk

One of the UK’s largest delivery companies, Hermes, is predicted to produce the most carbon emissions this Black Friday. The company delivered 13.9 million parcels in 2019 which is estimated to have resulted in 51,152 tonnes of carbon being produced. 

Assuming the estimated rise in online Black Friday transactions this year, and that the average parcel is delivered, it is predicted that 58,313 tonnes of carbon will be emitted by Hermes delivering parcels to households across the UK. 

Dirty Deliveries – how carbon-conscious are the UK’s delivery companies?

Of the 12 delivery companies included in the report, Royal Mail was identified as the most carbon-conscious delivery company, scoring 54.5 out of 60. The company has the largest ‘feet on the street’ network of 90,000 postal workers, and they have reduced carbon emissions by 29% since 2005. The company has recently invested in a 295 strong fleet of electric vehicles. 

Amazon takes the top spot for the number of click and collect parcel locations in the UK with around 16,000. Not only do these click and collect locations and lockers help the environment by preventing numerous home deliveries, but they also serve to drive much-needed footfall into local business. 

The company has also invested heavily in electric vehicles with 1,800**** vehicles from Mercedes-Benz to be added to its delivery fleet in Europe this year.

Eco-friendly shopping habits of UK consumers

Just one in 10 shoppers (11.7%) factor carbon-friendly delivery into their online shopping decision, but almost three quarters (72%) admit preferring retailers who offer free delivery; the least eco-friendly option.

One in five (20%) said they would refuse to pay extra to offset the carbon generation by their purchase, compared to 17% who would pay up to £2 to do so.

Age plays a part in eco-shopping decision making. 16-24-year-olds are twice as likely (16%) to opt for a green delivery option, compared to the 55+ age group (8%). 

Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at money.co.uk, said: 

“With almost a third of consumers (32%) stating that they would be more likely to shop with a retailer if they offered a green or eco-friendly option, it is clear there is some appetite for more environmentally conscious delivery methods.

“Despite this, our research found that 20% of shoppers did not want to pay to offset the environmental impact of their online purchases, and a further 42% admitted to not feeling any environmental guilt when purchasing items online. 

“Although there is clear interest from consumers to reduce their carbon footprint when shopping online, it appears speed and reliability are two qualities British consumers are more keen for delivery companies to possess.”

Find the full money.co.uk Dirty Delivery Report here: https://www.money.co.uk/guides/dirty-delivery-report-2020