Drop shipping in vogue as Adept sets 2030 net zero goal

Unified comms specialist targets 90 per cent emissions reduction by 2028

Adept has pledged to reduce the amount of stock it holds - and instead encourage direct shipping by its vendors - as part of its newly set net zero 2030 target.

The AIM-listed unified comms specialist, whose vendor partners include Microsoft and Mitel, is targeting a 90 per cent reduction in its overall scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2028 before reaching net zero in 2030.

Adept claims it cut its total emissions by 18 per cent in the year to 1 September 2022, partly thanks to its introduction of remote home working and consequent fall in employee-commuting emissions during the year.

All its staff are now entitled to work from home and only attend meetings at offices when needed.

As part of its carbon reduction plans, Adept said it is moving to zero-carbon energy suppliers and installing LED lighting and movement-sensitive switches at its offices.

It said it will also encourage landlords to fit electric charging points, help employees purchase or lease electric cars through its flexible benefits facility and encourage alternative, more sustainable modes of transport.

The virtues of drop shipping - either direct from the vendor to the end-user or from the distributor to the end-user - have already been flagged up by those concerned with the channel's carbon footprint. Talking to CRN recently, TD Synnex's UK boss Dave Watts argued that the challenge is to not only pressurise couriers to electrify their fleets, but also to move away from the traditional "linear" distribution model that sees IT hardware typically travel through vendors, distributors and resellers before reaching the end user.

"If we line all our activity up in the right places, we should be able to cut out a couple of bits of journey there," he said.

As part of its carbon reduction plans, Adept said it will cut the amount of stock it holds at its offices and instead encourage direct shipment to reduce mileage travelled.

Adept's net zero announcement follows on from those already set out by larger publicly held IT solutions providers Computacenter and Softcat.

It pegged its scope 1, 2 and 3 CO2 emissions at a respective 75.7, 261.3 and 233.5 tonnes in its fiscal 2022.

At a "chosen point", Adept stressed that it will turn to carbon offsetting to tackle the "residual emissions" it is unable to eliminate.

The comms specialist said its plans have been completed in accordance with PPN 06/21 and associated guidance and reporting standard for Carbon Reduction Plans.