Sysco Commits to Electrify 35% of Fleet by 2030

Sysco announced a commitment to electrify 35% of its fleet by 2030 as part of ambitious new climate goals.

The global foodservice distribution company said its new science-based emissions reduction target aligns with the Paris Agreement and is an integral part of the company’s roadmap to reducing its carbon footprint over the next decade. The company is pursuing validation of the goal by the Science-Based Targets initiative and aims to:

• Reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 27.5% by 2030, and
• Ensure that suppliers covering 67% of Sysco’s Scope 3 emissions establish science-based targets by 2026.

Sysco’s Scope 1 and 2 reduction efforts will be achieved in part by electrifying 35% of the company’s U.S. tractor fleet by 2030, equivalent to adding nearly 2,500 electric trucks to its fleet. In addition, the company will source 100% renewable electricity for its global operations by 2030.

During FY2021, Sysco successfully piloted a battery-electric Freightliner eCascadia at its San Francisco operating site. Sysco’s pilot showed the vehicle can successfully be used as a regional hauler and that the EV can serve most Sysco routes on a single charge while carrying payloads to a max gross combined weight of 82,000 pounds.

The company is gearing up to deploy its first group of EVs at its Riverside, California, operating site in FY2023, and will continue to pilot other vehicle manufacturers and technologies, such as small delivery EVs and electric trailers.

Sysco also has pre-ordered 50 electric Tesla Semi trucks.

“Increasing the electrification of our fleet is a primary way we can reduce our direct emissions,” the company said in its 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. “We are currently focused on our U.S.-based tractor fleet, as this is our largest contributor of emissions, and will expand our efforts to other markets in the future.”

The company is focused on reducing its carbon footprint in Europe and other parts of the world by sourcing alternative-fuel vehicles for those markets.