Celebrating One Year as a Sustainable Ecommerce Agency With a Climate Positive Workforce!
Get the lowdown on the climate projects we’ve supported since joining forces with Ecologi, and find out why it’s important to us to be a sustainable ecommerce agency.
Written By
Hannah Smiddy
Since January 2021, we’ve been working with innovative climate initiative Ecologi to ensure we’re operating as a climate positive workforce. This means going beyond achieving net zero emissions and offsetting more greenhouse gases than we generate, as individuals and as a business.
Our first year climate positive
Twelve months on, and we’ve helped grow trees, aid climate solutions, and start the journey of bringing wildlife back to its natural home.
We’ve funded climate projects across the globe, from restoring rainforests in Papua New Guinea and generating wind power in Vietnam, to conserving peatland in Indonesia and fueling efficient cookstoves in Honduras. And, in our Forest of Swank, we’ve planted more than 8,000 trees.
The projects we’ve supported as a sustainable ecommerce agency have removed 667.75 tonnes of CO2e from the atmosphere in the last 12 months, which is equivalent to 512 long haul flights or 1,656,688 miles driven in a car!
All of this supports our mission to deliver more sustainable ecommerce development and marketing solutions – enabling the businesses we work with and their customers to make more ethical, environmentally-friendly choices.
Why is it important to us to be a sustainable ecommerce agency?
Our planet is in crisis. The rapid rise in ecommerce has only exacerbated this, with accelerating consumption levels having a significant and lasting negative impact on the environment.
More delivery vehicles out on the road has meant an increase in carbon emissions, whilst the spike in ecommerce returns has caused a surge in waste destined for landfills that were already struggling1.
Not to mention the carbon footprint of ecommerce websites, which demand significant (and often underestimated!) amounts of energy. Did you know that the average website with 10,000 monthly page views produces 211kg of CO2 per year2?
As the pandemic continues to push more shoppers online than ever before, we decided it was time to start reinventing attitudes to sustainability within the sector – particularly on the part of agencies.
Of course, sustainability is by no means a new concept when it comes to online retail. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the problems and are eager to take action. And brands are following suit, with many pledging to take a more conscientious, environmentally-friendly approach with eco packaging, greener fulfilment options and circular product recycling schemes.
However, we recognised a gap. Sustainable initiatives had not yet stretched to ecommerce development and marketing services themselves.
We wanted to change this, so set about establishing a blueprint for sustainable ecommerce services. By integrating sustainability into the core of our operations as an ecommerce agency, we’re enabling our clients to minimise their environmental impact and join us in giving back to the planet.
Go green with our sustainable ecommerce solutions
Being an environmentally friendly brand looks different for everyone. There are so many changes you can implement, big or small, to make your business more sustainable. Why not start by working with a sustainable ecommerce agency like Swanky?
To find out more about the range of mindful ecommerce services we offer, including store replatforming, web design, and a whole range of digital growth solutions, get in touch with one of our Shopify Plus Experts today.
For reference:
[1] https://ecocart.io/posts/the-dark-side-of-e-commerce
[2] https://www.websitecarbon.com/