More than 500 delivery businesses worldwide have collectively cut more than 11,000 tons of carbon emissions thanks to their adoption of route optimization technology, according to a report audited and verified by Offsetters Clean Technology.

The carbon emissions savings were released by Vancouver-based tech company Routific, and have been validated by a third-party environmental auditing team at Offsetters, a leading provider of sustainability and carbon-management solutions.

The report is the final step in the due diligence process for a $1.8 million grant awarded to Routific by Sustainable Development Technology Canada, a foundation created Canada's government to fund new clean technologies.

“Significant GHG benefits are realized with Routific’s technology,” said Simon Phillips, director of clean technology projects at Offsetters. “Their technology will help delivery companies across the globe create close to optimal delivery routes, which will reduce distance traveled, fuel costs, possibly the fleet size, and increase overall efficiency.”

Routific’s route optimization platform, inspired by the foraging behaviors of honey bees, uses advanced algorithms powered by artificial intelligence. The technology shortens delivery routes by an average of 20%, according to the company, lowering congestion in major urban areas, and helping delivery fleets reduce their fuel consumption and time spent on the road.

The result has been a reduction in 11,322 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 alone, the equivalent of planting more than 500,000 trees.

The World Economic Forum projects a 36% rise in the number of delivery vehicles in the top 100 cities globally by 2030. Researchers estimate emissions from last-mile delivery traffic will increase by nearly a third, and congestion will rise by over 21%. However, Routific surveyed 11,246 businesses and found that 72% of them are still manually planning the routes for their delivery drivers.

“Awareness is key. Every business needs to take our world’s climate seriously, for our future and to ensure the health and well-being of future generations,” said Routific Founder and CEO Marc Kuo. “Route optimization technology not only saves a business time, money, and fuel, it also drastically reduces a company’s carbon footprint. It’s win-win."

Additionally, in response to the current COVID-19 outbreak, Routific announced it will offer its service for free to any non-profit helping with COVID-19 efforts. Contact the company directly for questions.