John Lewis announces phase out of diesel-powered delivery trucks by 2028

The John Lewis Partnership has announced they will phase out diesel-powered delivery trucks from their fleet by 2028.

This move will see over 500 new trucks being commissioned that will run on 100 per cent renewable biomethane fuel. This will help towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The biomethane used in the trucks is solely produced from food waste and waste materials. Biomethane is cheaper than conventional diesel and therefore has lower operating costs.

The announcement follows the government’s Green GB week and aims to represent a commitment to reducing heavy goods vehicle emissions, which account for 18 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions for road transport in the UK.

Justin Laney, Partner & General Manager of Central Transport at John Lewis Partnership, said: “We have been pioneering the adoption of long-distance biomethane trucks in the UK and scaling this up to our entire heavy truck fleet will deliver significant environmental and operational benefits. Five biomethane trucks produce the same emissions as one diesel lorry and they are also much quieter, helping reduce not only greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution but also noise pollution in our cities.”

The John Lewis Partnership have previously implemented measures to ensure sustainability within their company. They recently launched a sustainable programme to help combat plastic waste.

Claire Perry, Minister for Energy and Clean Growth, said: “Ten years on from the Climate Change Act, the first ever Green GB week is a time to build on our successes and explain the huge opportunities for business and young people of a cleaner economy. I’m delighted to see how many more businesses and organisations such as the John Lewis Partnership are seizing this multi-billion pound opportunity to energize their communities to tackle the very serious threat of climate change.”  

In Green GB week the UK Government requested advice from the Committee of Climate Change on how to keep global temperate rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius following the informative and shocking IPCC report.

Photograph: John Lewis