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Public Sector & Policy
DER provides a reference model for transparency and audit alignment across fiscal, labour, and environmental governance structures. Applicable at national and regional levels.
Mission
Invisible Journeys is an independent, UK-based non-profit evidence platform quantifying the hidden social, fiscal, and environmental costs of the global delivery economy.
The initiative builds on 30 months of research, including 18 months of field investigation and over 65,000 timestamped data records.
SDG Alignment Across Stakeholders
The joined figure provides a clear, side-by-side comparison of how different stakeholder groups (riders, consumers, platforms, compliance actors, and society/environment) align with each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The grouped bars enable the identification of variations and overlap between stakeholder perspectives, highlighting both areas of convergence and potential points of tension.
Research Overview
Invisible Journeys Limited (Company No. 16358532) operates as a non-profit organisation. Research activities are self-funded and independent, combining manual data logging, GPS verification, Freedom of Information requests, cost and emissions analysis, and qualitative field interviews.
• 65,000+ timestamped records
• 18 months of field investigation
Data-Driven Estimates of Annual Hidden Costs of Food Delivery
UK and Global, 2024 baseline; 2027 projected at 8%
CAGR
Estimates include earnings gaps (including tax and NI shortfalls), Scope 3 carbon liabilities, and externalities related to waste.
Key Findings
Curated Figures from the Confidential Working Draft
The complete working draft is available upon request under mutually agreed confidentiality terms.
Delivery Economy Review (DER) Framework
DER is a proposed two-year validation and audit mechanism
that replaces self-reported platform metrics with
worker-sourced, verifiable data.
DER delivers investor-grade sustainability datasets
and operational governance tools for policymakers and
industry leaders.
Functional Layers
• Data Layer: empirical
worker data
•
Ethics Layer: pay, safety,
and human rights
•
Risk Layer: fiscal,
environmental, and reputational
Objectives
• Scope 3 last-mile emissions validation
• Quantification of uncollected fiscal liabilities
• Comparative auditing cycles every 5–10 years
Expected Outcomes
• Audited data for public and private governance
• Evidence for employment and fiscal reform
• Enhanced accountability in delivery-sector
systems
Stakeholders and Integration Pathways
Technology & Implementation Partners
Partnerships may include digital design, platform architecture, data security, and ethical deployment aligned with sustainability and public-interest standards.
Civil Society & NGOs
DER datasets provide evidence for advocacy, reform, and social equity initiatives within the delivery workforce.
Academic & Research Institutions
Provides a validated data structure for comparative research and analysis of social and economic governance systems.
Pilot & Partnership Model
Proposed 3–6 month pilot:
• Develop a basic minimum viable platform that combines data
collection, the DER Index dashboard, and stakeholder
reporting tools.
• Invite 300–500 participants from two or three cities or via a
partnered delivery platform.
Confidential Working Draft - September 2025
• Document Provenance and Ownership (link)
•
Transparency Note: Background and Development (link)
Invisible Journeys' Role
Methodology and governance lead responsible for research design, stakeholder engagement, and policy reporting.
Technical Partner Role
Responsible for platform build, architecture, and security, ensuring ethical and transparent operation.
Pilot Outputs
• DER Index prototype
• Stakeholder
reporting toolkit
• Recommendations for
scale-up (2–10 year governance cycle)
Positioning Statement
Based on precedents and sectoral insights, the confidential working draft proposes a formal review and governance framework (DER) to guide evidence-based interventions aligned with existing climate, labour, and economic policy objectives.
Organisational Structure & Legal Notice
Invisible Journeys Limited is a registered non-profit company
(Company No. 16358532) and retains ownership of all intellectual
property associated with the Delivery Economy Review (DER).
Refined Compliance is a separate, future commercial entity not
yet registered, providing interim hosting for this webpage under
refinedcompliance.com
Hosting
Disclaimer: This website is temporarily hosted under
refinedcompliance.com for technical convenience only. All rights, data, and IP remain
the property of Invisible Journeys Limited.
Once Refined Compliance is
incorporated, a formal hosting and service agreement will define
the boundaries of collaboration, ensuring continued transparency
and independence.
Mission Statement and Strategic Approach
Our findings expose systemic social, environmental, and
fiscal liabilities within platform-based delivery
sectors.
• As of 2024, novel data-driven estimates value the
sector at £1.1 billion in the UK and £32 billion
globally.
• These figures are projected to rise to £1.4 billion
and £40 billion, respectively, by 2027.
•
Behind these numbers, more than 2 million children are
already directly affected worldwide, and many delivery
workers continue to earn incomes below the poverty
line.
These
liabilities intersect with public health, transportation,
labour rights, environmental impact, and social
cohesion.Current governance and enforcement frameworks do
not fully address these structural risks.
Through
principled cooperation and concrete policy instruments, we
can build a fair, transparent, and sustainable delivery
economy, one that reflects technical precision and moral
responsibility.
Advisory, Research Integration, and Mission Engagement
Refined Compliance supports the application of Invisible
Journeys’ research through evidence-based advisory and
governance design, ensuring operational translation of the
Delivery Economy Review (DER) Framework into real-world
regulatory and ESG contexts.
Advisory services are delivered independently under
Refined Compliance — the trading identity of Róbert Izsák,
operating on a self-employed basis in the United Kingdom.
For full service domains, please visit
https://www.refinedcompliance.com (link).
Invisible
Journeys' granular data demonstrates how verified evidence
becomes a strategic asset for policy, business, and civic
actors. We invite constructive engagement: your
perspective matters.
Stakeholder Contribution and Strategic Partnership
If you wish to support this work,
you may contribute via our official fundraising page.
Donations are received and administered by Invisible journeysLimited (Company No.
16358532
Journeys), a UK-registered non-profit company limited by
guarantee.
Donations are received and
administered by Invisible Journeys Limited and used solely
to advance the Delivery Economy Review (DER) research, pilot
activity and public-interest dissemination.
For your convenience, the nearby QR code links to the
official fundraising page for Invisible Journeys.
Participation is entirely optional and does not imply
endorsement, partnership, or formal commitment.
For full
details on how donations are processed, stored, refunded,
and accounted for, please read our Donations — Full Terms
page or contact us via invisible-journeys [at]
refinedcompliance.com for assistance.
We recognise that some
stakeholders cannot engage actively. However, if you share
our goals—protecting human rights and addressing climate
impact—or wish to offer symbolic or confidential support,
you may do so through our official fundraising page.
Where
online contributions are impractical, bank transfer
details can be provided on request.
Scan the QR
code to open the official fundraising page: