AfterShip Introduces Carbon Emission Report to Help Online Merchants Measure Carbon Footprint

AfterShip, a leading post-purchase and tracking platform for eCommerce businesses launches its Carbon Emission Report, which enables online merchants to measure their CO2 emissions over time.

It also fosters sustainable and transparent business practices between AfterShip, e-merchants and shoppers so that all parties have access to data that helps them make informed, eco-conscious delivery decisions.

AfterShip now supports over 980 carriers worldwide, including USPS, FedEx, UPS, which helps merchants use single or multiple carriers to track the packages traveled and the carbon footprint.

AfterShip developed its Carbon Emission Report to propel positive environmental change in eCommerce shipments and foster operational changes that support merchants’ sustainability initiatives, such as reducing the distance traveled per order.

The Carbon Emission Report provides data on total CO2 emission trends over time, broken down by distance traveled, package weight and shipment method. 

To calculate these emissions, AfterShip utilizes the following formulas:

• Domestic shipments in a medium or heavy-duty truck emit 200 g of CO2 per ton per mile. 
• Cross-border shipments in an aircraft emit 1320 g of CO2 per ton per mile.

“It has been encouraging to see the retail industry prioritizing sustainability. Our recent survey on shoppers’ preferences found that almost 75 percent of shoppers want their favorite brands to invest more in sustainability. In fact, 6 out of 10 shoppers we surveyed purchased from a brand in the last six months because of their sustainability initiatives. We are confident that AfterShip’s Carbon Emission Report will add value to merchants’ sustainability initiatives by providing transparent and reliable data on carbon emissions.”

Andrew Chan, Co-Founder and CMO at AfterShip

“We hope the Carbon Emission Report will contribute to positive climate change action, ultimately leading merchants across all industries to act together to reduce their collective carbon emissions,” added Chan.

Proposed rule amendments by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will require all publicly traded businesses to publish standardized emissions and climate risk reports.

AfterShip’s Carbon Emission Report will help prepare merchants for the data they need for reporting. 

Currently, fewer than one-third of US-based public companies voluntarily disclose emissions, and reporting is not consistent.

If enacted, the SEC will require large companies to begin disclosing climate risks next year, followed by emissions data in 2024, while smaller companies will have an extra year before needing to disclose.  

The Carbon Emission Report arrives ahead of these changes and gives proactive companies – from large enterprises to small- and medium-sized businesses — a powerful method of calculating and disclosing their carbon emissions in real-time. 

AfterShip Returns Center

AfterShip’s Carbon Emission Report joins the platform’s Returns Center in further minimizing unnecessary shipments in an effort to put merchants and the planet front and center.

Through the Returns Center, shoppers have the option of converting returns into repurchases with store credit or exchanges as refund options. 

Moreover, ‘Green returns’ is another environmentally friendly option through which products are refunded without collecting the package from the customer; AfterShip designed this for non-durable and inexpensive products and perishable items.

This provides more avenues for eCommerce businesses to reduce return shipments, thereby reducing their carbon footprint.