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Photo = Yonhap news |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] CJ Freshway, which once promoted itself as the first in the industry to adopt electric delivery vehicles, has seen the size of its electric fleet fall dramatically over the past three years—resulting in a rise in greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the company's latest sustainability report released on July 3, the number of electric delivery vehicles in operation dropped from 41 in 2022 to just 14 in 2023, and further to 11 in 2024—down to a quarter of its peak.
Initially, CJ Freshway had hoped the electric fleet would contribute to carbon reduction, lower long-term operational costs, and enhance brand image. However, as the number of electric vehicles declined, overall emissions increased.
The company's direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1+2) rose from 10,790 tCO₂eq in 2022 to 14,000 tons in 2023, and 15,369 tons in 2024. This surpasses the company’s 2024 emissions reduction target of 13,800 tons—set as part of its pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050—by roughly 10%.
In addition, the company’s emissions intensity (emissions per revenue) rose from 0.47 in 2022 to 0.53 in 2023 and 0.55 in 2024, indicating that emissions per unit of revenue have increased.
The reduction in electric vehicle use is seen as a major factor in the weakened effectiveness of CJ Freshway's green logistics strategy. Nonetheless, the company says it will continue working to reduce emissions in the more complex Scope 3 category, which includes supply chain, distribution, and employee commuting—areas closely tied to transportation choices like electric delivery.
As part of its broader sustainability efforts, CJ Freshway is exploring the introduction of AI-powered logistics optimization systems and plans to expand the use of third-party vehicles with fuel monitoring capabilities.
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
