India's Flipkart commits to net zero carbon emissions by 2040

Flipkart, India’s homegrown internet ecosystem, has committed to setting an ambitious net zero target to decarbonise its own operations by 2030 and the larger value chain by 2040. This is in line with the global Science-based Targets initiative (SBTi) of keeping the global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius per the Paris Climate Agreement.

As part of this commitment, Flipkart will take measures in its own operations to reduce 100 per cent of emissions by 2030 by increasing energy efficiency at its corporate office, supply chain facilities, and powering its energy requirements through renewable sources such as solar. Recognising that the majority of the climate impact comes from Flipkart’s extended value chain of suppliers, waste in operations, transportation and logistics, and product end-of-life, it will also work with its sellers, consumers, and partners to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, the company said in a press release.

To reduce the footprint, Flipkart will focus on the following key areas of impact to achieve a clearly defined decarbonisation pathway. This includes a sustainable platform to drive consumer awareness and initiatives to support sustainable products while creating circular business models. There is a responsible value chain, through electrification of logistics, incorporating renewable energy, environment-friendly packaging, waste management initiatives, and responsible sourcing in business practices, the establishment of green infrastructure, and supplier engagement and seller education.

The company will work towards impacting positive collaborations, fostering industry partnerships to develop innovative solutions for creating a sustainable e-commerce model climate change mitigation and adaptation. Flipkart is committed to contributing to this cause and has taken several steps over the past several years, including the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles in its supply chain, elimination of single-use plastic packaging, and introduction of paper packaging through sustainable forest-derived materials, and development of warehousing infrastructure to reduce its carbon footprint.

In this endeavour, the company has joined hands with initiatives such as the Climate group’s EV100 initiative to deploy 25,000 electric vehicles across the country by 2030, and not-for-profit environmental organisation, Canopy, for responsible sourcing of sustainable packaging and man-made cellulosic fibres to offer sustainable products to millions of customers among other initiatives. As part of these efforts, Flipkart works with more than 250 ecosystem partners, including EV suppliers, manufacturers and brands across the country. The group’s efforts have also been recognised by leading global organisations such as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and are being used to demonstrate best practices for large-scale deployment sustainability initiatives by way of case studies, according to Flipkart.

“We are proud to announce our commitment to net zero emissions by 2040. This commitment is a significant undertaking in our journey towards building a sustainable business, and we want to play our part in adopting a proactive approach to create shared value across the ecosystem. As part of our net zero efforts, our sustainability initiatives will include the larger ecosystem, comprising our sellers, customers, and brands, to bring about an industry-wide shift. We recognise the importance of working collaboratively to reduce climate impact and will continue to steer our efforts towards this commitment and to decarbonise the e-commerce value chain,” Kalyan Krishnamurthy, chief executive officer, Flipkart, said in a statement.