Coinciding with the second Green Postal Day, CEOs of 15 posts worldwide reiterated the postal commitment to further reduce the carbon footprint of delivery and contribute to a more sustainable society. As demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 crisis, posts are playing a key social role and care about people. Taking care of people also means contributing to the fight against global warming. This is what postal operators have been doing for more than 10 years.
An industry working together
The postal sector initiative is a clear example of an industry working together to exchange best practices and stimulate individual companies to move beyond their initial objectives. Using a common measuring system has also favoured transparency and driven sustainability ambitions.
On this day, leading postal operators call on leaders from other industries to join forces at the sector level and to adopt a common monitoring and measuring system. Postal operators participating in the SMMS initiative are offering to cooperate and share best practice with other industries.
About postal sector sustainability
Ten years ago, postal operators were among the first to launch a sector-wide programme to measure and reduce CO2 emissions through International Post Corporation (IPC) and its Environmental Measurement and Monitoring System (EMMS).
Since then, postal operators have strengthened their environmental ambitions and have increased their sustainability efforts, reaching a reduction of 30% of their CO2 emissions, well ahead of their initial targets.
But sustainability is not only limited to CO2 emissions reductions.
In 2019, posts launched the Sustainability Measurement and Management System (SMMS), and extended their efforts to measure, report and learn from one another. This new programme covers seven categories which relate to five SDGs where posts could have the most positive impact. These include:
- Health and Safety,
- Learning and Development,
- Resource Efficiency,
- Air Quality,
- Circular Economy,
- Sustainable Procurement and
- Climate Change.
The five related SDGs are:
- SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth),
- SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure),
- SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities),
- SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production) and
- SDG 13 (Climate action).
Currently 19 posts from America, Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific are participating in the IPC SMMS programme.
Main achievements of SMMS
Through this page, you will learn about the main achievements of postal operators collectively and individually. Examples for successful initiatives of postal operators in areas such as alternative vehicles, use of renewable energy, sustainable buildings are available in the case study section.
“The postal sector commits to sustainability at its core. As an industry with a deep and long history through many generations, and with a presence in every community we know and feel the need to build a long-term, sustainable future for generations to come. Posts have led on the decarbonisation agenda and on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Today in the midst of a global pandemic we broaden our commitment so that the sector can continue to lead for a sustainable world.”
David mcRedmond,
CEO, An Post
"CTT is very proud to once again join other postal operators worldwide this year to mark the Green Postal Day, an initiative to which we look upon with enormous appreciation, and of which we have been an integral part from the very first moment. For CTT, Sustainability issues are an extremely important matter and one of our top priorities for the future. We are aware that in a Company there are several measures that can be adopted to fight climate change and ensure a more sustainable future. At CTT, our daily work involves adopting increasingly sustainable practices, innovating in products and services, with the basic principle of reducing our carbon footprint. Today we have increasingly demanding and informed consumers, who look at sustainability as a key factor when making decisions and in CTT we are proud to have a wide portfolio that meets these demands."
Joao Bento,
CEO, CTT Portugal Post
“We are delighted to support Green Postal Day. We continue to deliver initiatives that support the collective targets of the International Post Corporation, while meeting the high expectations of our customers. With 90,000 postmen and postwomen making up the UK’s largest feet-on-the-street network, we are already playing a big role in keeping the emissions associated with deliveries low. More recently, we have expanded our fleet of electric vehicles to around 300 vans in various locations across our business. We continue to trial low emission vehicles; the most recent example being a prototype electric van based on a London Taxi from the London Electric Vehicle Company. This trial forms part of a programme of vehicle and efficiency initiatives that will enable us to assess and deploy ways of further reducing our environmental impact.”
Stuart Simpson,
Interim CEO, Royal Mail
“The postal service has always been a driving force in societal development. Through international collaboration and collaboration with customers, suppliers and consumers, large-scale change can be achieved. How we as a company handle climate change is crucial for our future and for many years, we have successfully worked to reduce our own impact on climate. We are now taking a step further towards the future, with the goal of a fossil free organization by 2030!”
Annemarie Gardshol,
Group CEO, PostNord
Elena Fernandez,
Chairwoman, Board of Directors, PostEurop
Correos, Spain
“Sustainability management is becoming increasingly important for postal operators and customers in Europe as well as globally, in our daily lives. Despite the various challenges we face, I am confident that postal operators can contribute to the EU Green Deal and UN COP26 discussions through our experience and expertise.”
Jean-Paul Forceville,
Chairman of PostEurop
POST Luxembourg
What SMMS member posts have achieved together
Participating posts
