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ANC Delivers boosts battery-electric vehicle fleet

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14 Feb, 2025

This post was originally published on Sustainability Matters

Australian freight and logistics company ANC Delivers has achieved key milestones in its $45.5 million sustainability initiative, including the integration of around 60 electric vehicles into its fleet.

ANC showcased these milestones at the Scaling Zero Emissions Delivery for a Sustainable Future event, highlighting their role in bridging the gap between affordability and environmental impact.

Honorary guest speaker Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, expressed strong support for the initiative and emphasised the critical role of sustainable last-mile deliveries (LMD) in Australia’s broader climate goals.

Image caption: (L–R) Brendan Groll (IKEA), Calvin D’Silva, Joe Sofra (CEO ANC), Alexandra Kelly (IKEA), Mirja Viinanen (CEO IKEA), Julie Delvecchio (CEO EVC), Chris Bowen MP.

Project Spark, the sustainability initiative by ANC, was officially announced in June 2024 and includes $12.8 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s (ARENA) Driving the Nation Fund.

ANC manages a network of contracted owner-drivers to provide LMD services to high-profile retail brands including IKEA, JB HI-FI, The Good Guys, Bunnings, Who Gives A Crap, Temple and Webster, and William Sonoma.

According to ANC Chief Growth & Sustainability Officer Mo Abbas, ANC has prepared strategies, as part of Project Spark, to overcome challenges in transitioning to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs).

“Up until now, multiple constraints have made it hard for our industry to transition away from internal combustion engine vehicles. Currently, owner-drivers considering BEV trucks face higher capital costs, limited access to charging infrastructure, costly and complex charging options for larger format vehicles and constrained revenue potential,” he said.

“Project Spark aims to tackle these challenges head-on with initial support from ARENA, focusing on reducing the cost of BEV ownership and improving accessibility to charging options for owner-operators. This includes initiatives like bulk purchasing, flexible financing models and strategic partnerships with insurers.”

To tackle the challenge of charging infrastructure, ANC has teamed up with several key partners. For example, Origin Energy has facilitated the transition for owner-drivers by installing at-home charging stations, making the switch to electric vehicles more convenient and accessible.

“Project Spark leverages both commercial and technological strategies to lower the total cost of ownership for BEV trucks, supported by key partners including Origin Energy, SpotLumos, Atecco, JAC and others,” Abbas said.

Looking to the future, Abbas shared ANC’s medium-term goal of converting 30% of its fleet to zero-emissions vehicles by 2028. Additionally, ANC is exploring pathways to commercialise these efforts to accelerate the widespread adoption of zero-emission delivery solutions.

He also highlighted an opportunity for brands that are willing to reallocate a portion of their out-of-home advertising spend to leverage the advertising potential of their fleets, as they can accelerate their journey towards zero-emissions delivery while increasing their marketing impact.

Top image caption: A fleet of new electric vehicles for ANC Delivers.

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Grant funding open for sustainable organisations

Grant funding open for sustainable organisations

Submissions are open for the annual Canon Oceania Grants program. The 2025 program provides $40,000 in grants to support community organisations across Australia and New Zealand.

The program supports community groups to share their stories, foster understanding and strengthen their impact. Canon will award grants across the categories of Education, Community, Environment and First Nations (AU)/Cultural (NZ).

The Canon Oceania Grants program aims to empower community groups with the technology and resources they need to tell and amplify their stories to make a greater impact.

“Canon Oceania is proud to support the incredible work of grassroots organisations across New Zealand. Guided by our Kyosei philosophy of living and working together for the common good, our belief in the role communities play as the fabric of our society is deeply embedded in everything we do,” said Kotaro Fukushima, Managing Director for Canon Oceania. “Our Grants Program aims to empower these groups to achieve their goals and make a real difference in the lives of others. By providing access to technology and funding, we hope to help them amplify their impact and create positive change in our society.”

The 2025 grants will be awarded under the following categories:

Community Grant — open to organisations with their community at the heart of what they do, ranging from not-for-profits to grassroots groups.
Education Grant — open to schools and other educational centres for both children and adults.
Environment Grant — open to not-for-profits and organisations dedicated to raising awareness of the protection of the environment or promoting sustainable practices.
First Nations/Cultural Grant — open to First Nations community groups and organisations. It was launched for the first time in 2024.
 

Each grant awards the recipient with AU$5000 ($2500 cash and $2500 in Canon products).

Over the last 19 years, the Canon Oceania Grants program has provided support to over 120 community organisations and schools across Oceania, with more than $600,000 in monetary and product support. Its annual grants program helps provide not-for-profits with funding and the latest cameras, printers and storytelling gear to share their stories and amplify their voices.

Canon continued its partnership with 2018 Environment Grant winner, Rainforest Rescue, supporting its work in restoring the NightWings area of the Daintree Rainforest, helping to replant native trees and protecting the diverse wildlife habitat.

“There is immense power in an image, especially to engage and educate people, here in Australia and all over the world, about the work we do to restore the rainforest. When people can’t come to the Daintree, it’s important to be able to bring it to them,” said Kristin Canning, Partnerships Director for Rainforest Rescue. “If we didn’t have community engagement, we wouldn’t be able to do this work that is so vital to what we do. The Canon Oceania Grant has empowered us to invite people into the soul of what we do.

“The Canon Oceania Grant has also given us high-quality imaging to so we can study the species we find and ensure that what we’re looking at is what we think it is. It gives us confidence to know that we’re achieving our biodiversity objectives and doing the right thing by the rainforest and the wildlife here.”

Canon also continues to support The Reconnect Project, the 2024 Community Grant winner, in its mission of community empowerment.

“Winning the Grant from Canon has allowed us to up our game professionally in terms of the types of messages that we can communicate and the look and the appeal of those messages,” said Annette Brodie, Founder and CEO for Reconnect Project.

“With professional equipment, we’re able to record high-quality training videos and information about our services, we’re able to interview our case workers that are providing devices to clients and getting their stories. And that then helps us to spread our message to a wider audience, and particularly to corporates who might be looking to donate their decommissioned tech.”

Submissions are open now via the Canon website. The wider community will vote on finalists in August, and winners will be announced in September.

Image caption: The 2024 Education Grant winner, Farm My School.

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