United Pallet Network (UPN) has announced a landmark year of environmental progress, confirming that the network offset 28,500 tonnes of CO₂ between April 2024 and March 2025. The offsets cover the delivery of pallets travelling 26 million miles on UK roads and have been verified to ISO 14064-1:2018 and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol by independent auditor Carbon Neutral Britain.

All carbon credits were sourced exclusively from high-integrity projects certified under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), the Gold Standard Voluntary Emission Reductions (VER) programme and the United Nations Certified Emission Reductions (CER) scheme. Each project was selected not only for its emissions impact but also for its proven contributions to education, employment, clean water and biodiversity in local communities worldwide.

“Sustainability is embedded in every kilometre we travel,” said Joanna Davilla, Group Sustainability Champion, “By coupling rigorous measurement with certified offsets, UPN is delivering carbon-neutral freight today while investing in projects that uplift people and protect ecosystems for tomorrow. Our customers can therefore ship with confidence, knowing their pallets arrive with a net-zero footprint.”

Operational efficiency has amplified the impact of UPN’s offset initiative. Over the same period, the network achieved a 77% trailer utilisation rate—well above the Association of Pallet Networks’ published industry average of 51 %. This higher load factor eliminated millions of unnecessary road miles, effectively removing thousands of truck journeys and the associated congestion, noise and tail-pipe emissions from UK roads.

UPN is delivering carbon-neutral freight today while investing in projects that uplift people and protect ecosystems for tomorrow

UPN is now in the final stages of attaining ISO 14001 certification. The standard’s management framework is already driving a new wave of performance targets for the 2025 financial year:

• 13% reduction in electricity consumption through building upgrades
• 80 % reduction in water usage via smart fixtures and rainwater harvesting
• 15 % reduction in propane by transitioning to electric-powered forklifts
• Less than 1 % of total waste to landfill by year-end
• 39 % cut in petrol and diesel for the company car and van fleet
• 50 % decrease in paper use through digitalisation initiatives

Complementing these measures, UPN continues to enhance the biodiversity of its sites by safeguarding grasslands and wetlands and by incorporating wildlife-friendly features into new buildings.

“Sustainability is now a core commercial driver for our business and our partners”, commented David Brown, UPN Managing Director, “Customers want proof, not promises, and that is exactly what these results provide. From our carbon-neutral deliveries to the impending ISO 14001 certification, UPN is setting the pace for responsible growth across the pallet sector.”

By homing in on the company’s distinct point of difference within the sector in terms of its bespoke IT support systems and infrastructure, and its quality driven focus on service excellence, UPN has established a unique position in the Pallet Network Sector with its “Unique IQ” initiative.

From April 2024, United Pallet Network went Carbon Neutral. All palletised freight deliveries handled by its members across its UK wide partner network are now undertaken on a Carbon Neutral basis. In a first for the Sector Carbon Neutral Britain provide UPN with full Carbon Neutral Certification for every Member, certifying all UPN deliveries as Carbon Neutral.

Established in 2001, UPN has grown strongly and steadily into a high quality palletised freight distribution network. Focussed on growth through member success UPN currently have over 100 members covering the whole of the UK, and European partners providing coverage throughout 26 countries.

For further information on this press release, or UPN in general – please contact:
Iain Parsons, PR Agent to UPN, ip@yourmarketingworks.com