The company plans to replace all John Lewis and Waitrose delivery vehicles with 500 new trucks powered by 100% renewable biomethane fuel.
The retailer has been trialling biomethane trucks since 2015, with 61 already in operation or about to be delivered. The biomethane fuel is supplied by CNG Fuels.
It is also trialling six vehicles for Waitrose, with zero-emission refrigeration units as part of the Low Emissions Freight and Logistics Trial.
Each biomethane truck can run up to 500 miles and emits over 80% less CO2 than a standard diesel alternative – the fleet upgrade, once complete, will save more than 49,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
Justin Laney, general manager of central transport, John Lewis Partnership, said: “We have been pioneering the adoption of long-distance biomethane trucks in the UK and scaling this up to our entire heavy truck fleet will deliver significant environmental and operational benefits.
“Five biomethane trucks produce the same emissions as one diesel lorry and they are also much quieter, helping reduce not only greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution but also noise pollution in our cities.”
The announcement comes during the government’s inaugural Green GB Week and has been welcomed by the government, with energy minister Claire Perry saying: “I’m delighted to see how many more businesses and organisations such as the John Lewis Partnership are seizing this multi-billion pound opportunity to energise their communities to tackle the very serious threat of climate change.”