IPC: Postal operators “keep on their promises” to address carbon footprint

Eighteen posts worldwide serving close to 330 million households, celebrate the Green Postal Day and invite other industries to adopt a sector approach to address climate change.

Posts reiterate their commitment to contribute to a more sustainable economy and society, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Directly responding to consumer demand for low carbon delivery, posts pursue their joint efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.

Holger Winklbauer, Chief Executive Officer IPC said: “Frequent extreme weather conditions in the past weeks as well as the ongoing energy crisis remind the importance of acting rapidly. Postal operators were pioneers in launching a sector approach to address their carbon footprint. They keep on their promises”.

Posts respond to consumer demand

Over half of consumers are willing to receive their parcel a few days later to reduce the environmental impact. About half of consumers want the delivery of their domestic or cross-border parcel to be carbon neutral.

Since 2008, the global postal sector has been the pioneer in setting common targets to reduce CO₂ emissions, by launching their joint sustainability programme⁽²⁾. Collective yearly CO₂ emissions were reduced by 34% in 2021 compared to 2008.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of delivery. Posts are making the investments needed to decarbonise the vehicle fleet, while still meeting their duties to shareholders and customers.

In 2021, posts involved in the postal sustainability programme operated a fleet of around 630,000 vehicles. Reducing the environmental impact of the vehicle network is a priority for the sector.

Between 2012 and 2021, posts have doubled the share of alternative fuel vehicles (from 12% to 24% of the postal fleet). Electrical vehicles account for 17% of the postal fleet.

By 2030, posts collectively have a target to have 50% alternative fuel vehicles in their fleet (against 22% in 2020). While last-mile delivery has been a postal priority for reducing carbon footprint, focus is shifting towards long-distance transportation by trucks. Developments of alternative fuel trucks will be  key.

Posts focus on energy savings 

As the current energy crisis accelerates the need for energy savings, the sustainable use of resources has always been a priority for the postal sector since the launch of their joint sustainability programme in 2008. Participating posts reduced their aggregated electricity use by more than 17.5 TWh – enough to power 1.50m US homes in 2021. By 2021, 34% of the energy used in postal buildings will be from renewable sources. By 2030, posts aim to reach 75%.

Posts highlight the benefits of a joint sector approach to reduce carbon footprint

Posts worldwide launched their first joint programme in 2008, the Environmental Measurement and Monitoring System (EMMS) programme, which focused on reducing carbon emissions. The IPC Sustainability Measurement and Management System (SMMS) was launched in 2019 to address the sustainability objectives of the postal sector for the next ten years, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

(1) An Post, Austrian Post, Australia Post, bpost, Correos, CTT Portugal Post, Deutsche Post DHL, Hravtska Posta, Le Groupe La Poste, New Zealand Post, POST Luxembourg, Poste Italiane, Posti, PostNL, PostNord, Swiss Post, Royal Mail, USPS.

(2) The Environmental Measurement and Monitoring System (EMMS) programme was launched in 2008. In 2019, it was extended into the Sustainability Measurement and Management System (SMMS) programme.