Since 2011, Agility has been working to reduce power consumption and CO2 emissions from our data centers/servers in Irvine, California and Leeds, UK. In Irvine, an original virtualization and consolidation project in 2011 reduced the server totals by over 60%. A second consolidation project reduced the number again by a further 60% in 2015. Today, our total average electricity usage has decreased to 69% of peak usage in 2011, saving over 45 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. A similar exercise at our data center in Leeds reduced energy consumption to more than 83% less than peak usage in 2010, saving over 60 tons of CO2 emissions each year. A forthcoming hardware upgrade is expected to reduce energy consumption by a further 50%.

Four Agility Chemicals employees, based in Liverpool, U.K., volunteered their time to give a chemical safety workshop to nearly 200 students, ages 9-11 years old. In addition to giving safety tips and knowledge on chemical safety at home, the employees also gave students insights into the world of supply chain logistics.

Agility Bangladesh volunteers participated in a Customs Workshop organized by the UN Logistics Cluster in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. This training helps humanitarians to reduce the time that humanitarian cargo is in transit, which reduces inventory requirements and operating costs, while increasing the amount of aid materials available to beneficiaries. The Agility Bangladesh team also supported the Logistics Cluster by helping them to prepare a Logistics Capacity Assessment (LCA) for the country, and by working with local government, private sector and NGO stakeholders in a country-wide preparedness project to help the country prepare for future humanitarian emergencies.

Fourteen Agility Italy employees in Verona volunteered to refurbish a small farm. Working with Cooperativa Gramigna, the volunteers divided themselves into three groups and spent four hours cleaning a stable, clearing pathways to what will soon be a playground, and refurbishing chairs and tables. Once abandoned, the farm area has recently been refurbished by 3 organizations, for public use, including as an educational establishment for young scouts to learn about farming and nature.

For the second year in a row, Agility provided humanitarian fleet operations training to 25 representatives from 13 different humanitarian partners in Beirut, Lebanon. This training helps humanitarian partners better manage transportation fleets so more humanitarian cargo can be safely and more efficiently delivered to people in need. It also helps humanitarians reduce their operating costs and deliver more assistance when people most need it.

As part of UNHCR’s Ramadan campaign, Agility ran an internal fundraising drive. Employees in six Middle Eastern countries donated to UNHCR, ultimately supporting 14 refugee families (or approximately 70 individuals) during the Holy Month of Ramadan. The funds raised were channeled through UNHCR’s Cash Assistance program, which enables refugees to procure the food and life support essentials they need to survive. UNHCR cash assistance also contributes to the local economy and reduces refugee exploitation through forced & child labor, sex trafficking, family separation and forced marriage.

Working with one retail customer, Agility was able to measurably reduce the quantity of TEUs shipped from China to the West Coast of the United States. Through a solution that involved Container Freight Stations to consolidate cargo, we were able to reduce monthly TEUs shipped by 356. This reduction resulted in emissions reduction of an estimated 56%, or about 652 tons of carbon-equivalent emissions per year. At the same time, the customer achieved significant cost savings while enjoying the same high level of service.

One of our chemical customers in Europe challenged us to help organize their distribution network spanning 16 warehouses, packing and filling operations across one country. Agility rationalized the distribution network, reducing the total distance travelled by 22% while maintain the existing structure and adhering to the existing level of service requirements. The improvements resulted in cost reductions of 13%, a 7% increase in the volume delivered within 400 kilometers, as well as savings of 1,000 tons of CO2-equivalent emissions.