Cainiao, a Chinese e-commerce logistics company, showcased its green logistics innovations at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The company outlined its strategies for reducing carbon emissions across the logistics value chain, including order generation, warehousing, packaging, delivery, and recycling.
According to Cainiao’s 2024 ESG report, the company achieved a carbon emissions reduction of 458,000 tons during FY 2024, leveraging advanced digital and smart technologies. A key innovation showcased at COP29 was the Green Circular Box, equipped with RFID chips for tracking and data management to enhance operational efficiency and monitor carbon reduction. The company’s green packaging initiatives, including original box shipping, optimised packing algorithms, and reduced packaging volumes, accounted for an emissions reduction of 156,000 tons.
In its warehouses, Cainiao workers sorted, recycled, and reused 47.6 million cardboard boxes over the past year. The company also bolstered its renewable energy initiatives by installing 47.9 MW of photovoltaic systems across 13 logistics parks, reducing emissions by 298,000 tons through clean electricity generation.
Urban transportation formed another key pillar of Cainiao’s green logistics strategy. In 2024, 99% of Cainiao Express’s self-operated delivery trips relied on new energy vehicles. Additionally, the company’s unmanned delivery vehicles handled over 41 million parcels across school campuses, further cutting emissions.