As HIVED continues to grow, sustainability remains embedded in how we build and operate our delivery network. We sat down with HIVED’s Head of Impact, Gemma Neal, to discuss what it takes to build a modern electric delivery network, the realities of reducing emissions across logistics, and how sustainability is being embedded across the business as we scale.

Q1. You’ve spent nearly 20 years working across ecommerce and delivery. What brought you to HIVED, and how did sustainability become the focus of your role?

I’ve worked in ecommerce delivery for nearly 20 years. I spent the first eight on the retailer side at ASOS and John Lewis, managing delivery partnerships and innovation. In 2015, I joined an online farmers market where I helped launch an electric delivery fleet, which was still pretty radical at the time.

Since then, I’ve worked exclusively with mission driven businesses across innovation, operations and growth. When the opportunity came up to join HIVED in 2021, it felt like a natural way to bring those two sides of my career together.

I’ve held a few different roles since joining, but in 2023 I decided to focus fully on sustainability. After completing a related course at Cambridge University, I moved into this area of the business full-time.

Q2. Looking back at your time at HIVED so far, what are you most proud of?

Being part of the team that launched our partnership with ASOS in 2022 is definitely up there.

After years of believing electric delivery could work at scale, seeing one of the UK’s biggest online retailers put its trust in HIVED felt like real proof. It showed that electric delivery didn’t have to sit separately from the commercial realities of ecommerce.

For me, it brought together the two halves of my career: ecommerce delivery and sustainability. More importantly, it demonstrated the potential for HIVED to work towards reducing emissions associated with ecommerce delivery at scale.

Q3. What are some of the biggest sustainability milestones HIVED has reached recently?

There are a few I’m particularly proud of. Becoming B-Corp Certified in 2025 was a huge collective effort and gave us independent recognition across environmental and social impact, governance and transparency.

Another major step has been expanding our electric network into middle-mile transport with our Mercedes-Benz eActros 600s. Electrification often focuses on the final mile, so operating 44-tonne electric HGVs alongside our electric vans is an important part of building an end-to-end electric delivery network.

Q4. For ecommerce brands looking at their emissions, where should they start with delivery?

Start by understanding how your parcels move through the network.

Delivery can form part of a retailer’s Scope 3 footprint, and carrier selection is one area brands can directly influence. That means looking beyond headline commitments to understand the vehicles being used, how much of the delivery journey is electrified, and the emissions data a carrier can provide.

Q5. There’s sometimes an assumption that reducing delivery emissions means compromising on performance. What has HIVED learned?

We’ve seen that the two don’t have to be in conflict.

HIVED was designed around electric vehicles and technology from the beginning, rather than trying to retrofit them into a legacy delivery model. That lets us think differently about routing, operations, and the recipient experience.

Ultimately, retailers still need reliable parcel delivery, and customers still expect a great experience. Sustainability can’t come at the expense of those things. The goal is to build a delivery model where sustainability and strong performance go hand in hand.

Q6. How can everyday online shoppers make more sustainable delivery choices?

There are a few simple things shoppers can look out for. Where retailers offer a choice of delivery options, check whether they provide information about how your parcel will be delivered and whether an electric delivery option is available.

It’s also worth thinking about the wider delivery journey. Choosing an option that works for you can help reduce missed deliveries and unnecessary additional journeys, while being thoughtful about returns can help avoid unnecessary movement through the network.

Ultimately, though, shoppers should not have to choose between convenience and sustainability. Retailers and delivery companies have a responsibility to make more sustainable delivery options accessible and convenient, so making a better choice doesn't have to mean compromising the delivery experience.

Q7: Beyond carbon reduction, what else does your role as Head of Impact involve?

My role stretches across the full sustainability picture at HIVED, working to ensure our impact on people and planet is as low as possible.

On the planet side, that means going beyond carbon emissions to tackle areas like air quality and waste, from our tyre-particulate reduction work with The Tyre Collective to trialling reusable packaging. It also means building the governance and accountability that turns ambition into action. That includes achieving B Corp certification, registering with the Science Based Targets initiative and introducing an Environmental Management System, so sustainability is embedded in how we operate rather than treated as a side project.

On the people side, I lead our community and ethical standards work, from volunteering initiatives and local partnerships to overseeing our Supplier Code of Conduct. This sets the standards we expect from strategic suppliers across environmental responsibility, human rights, ethical practices and fair working conditions, with a growing share of our supplier spend now covered by it.

Ultimately, impact at HIVED isn’t down to one person. Every team plays a part, and one of my favourite times of year is bringing all of that work together for our annual Impact Report.

Where can you find out more?

You can read our 2025 Impact report here or read more about Impact at HIVED here.

Interested in joining HIVED? Explore our Careers page here.