European Postal Sector and the Environment
1. What is the estimated carbon emissions produced by Posts in Europe?
The UPU estimates that global postal activities in 2008, produced an estimated 26 million tonnes of CO2 emissions of which Europe make up 31% (over 8 million tonnes).
Based on the estimated 26 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, the global sector is responsible for an estimated 0.07% of total annual carbon gas emissions worldwide, which the United Nations Environment Programme estimates to be 38 billion tonnes produced annually.
In summary, the European postal sector is responsible for an estimated 0.02% of total annual greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
2. How does the European Postal sector take on their responsibilities towards the environment?
Many European postal operators have begun their own initiatives addressing the corporate social responsibility towards the environment they live in. European Postal operators such as Deutsche Post DHL, Groupe La Poste, Posten Norden, Itella and Royal Mail Group have led the way by adopting environmental policies and adopting environmental activities across their organisation and have been successful.
3. How can European postal operators increase their commitment towards the environment?
European postal operators unite at both national and European level by participating in the PostEurop Greenhouse gas reduction programme. This joint programme creates a common platform for learning and exchanging experiences of measures that further increases environmental awareness both at regional and national level.
European Postal operators are also able to also directly participate and be represented on global initiatives led by UPU.
About the PostEurop Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programme
1. What is the background of the GHG Reduction Programme?
The PostEurop Greenhouse Gas Reduction programme was launched by the PostEurop Environment Working Group in June 2007 in recognition of the importance of issues surrounding climate change, our environment and the communities we serve.
The Postal Sector understands that through the very nature of its day-to-day activities has an impact on the environment, mostly in the form of greenhouse gas emissions. Most of these CO2 emissions result from the use of road transport, aviation and building energy usage.
2. What are the objectives of the programme?
The Greenhouse gas reduction programme is an initiative which brings postal members together in a joint European programme by creating a common platform for learning and exchanging experience of measures that further increases environmental awareness and reduce the impact on the environment. The PostEurop Greenhouse Gas Reduction programme is a call-to-action for our members on a common platform.
The purpose of the program is to
· Educate and enable expert knowledge sharing amongst PostEurop members across Europe through engaging them in the programme.
· Promote a healthier living and working environment throughout the postal sector
· Encourage use of innovation and further R&D on environmental initiatives
· Have and implement on a common methodology at tracking the European postal sector carbon footprint
· To further collaborate with UPU on global scale
3. What are the initial steps taken to reach a common goal?
Since the launch of the PostEurop Greenhouse Gas Reduction programme, 14 pioneering postal operators agreed on a common objective and scope for the programme in which, a European CO2 measurement protocol was launched last April 2008 enables members to measure, analyze and report their 2007 carbon emissions. The baseline established will be used to help the European postal sector to track their carbon footprint whilst implementing and integrating their respective environmental initiatives into day-to-day activities.
This European protocol enables participating members to measure their emissions and assess their reduction efforts respectively as well as collectively. Sharing of expert knowledge further engages participants in “green” activities.
4. What is the goal of the programme?
All European postal operators participating in the Greenhouse gas reduction programme agreed to set a common goal of an average 10% reduction of CO2 emissions across all programme participants by 2012.
5. What is the aim of a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions based on?
The common aim of a 10% reduction in CO2 emission was based on reported global emissions in 2007.
The PostEurop European CO2 measurement protocol was launched last April 2008 as baseline which enables participating members to measure their emissions made in 2007 and assess their reduction efforts respectively as well as collectively.
6. What is the scope of the programme?
The scope of the programme takes into account all postal activities including logistics of mail, parcels and financial services. Members have the option to extend their scope to include other form of activities such as employee commuting.
The PostEurop greenhouse gas protocol measures CO2 emissions of these activities, focussed on transport, aviation and building energy use.
7. What is the commitment for participants?
All participants are committed to reducing CO2 emissions through the PostEurop Greenhouse Gas Reduction programme. Participation in the programme is on a voluntary basis and subject to goodwill.
Since 2007, 14 out of 25 members participating in the PostEurop Greenhouse Gas Reduction programme have begin to measure, analyze, report and reduce their respective CO2 emissions through various initiatives.
As the programme develops, PostEurop encourages interested postal operators to join as observers initially with aims to further educate, learn and share “greening” methodologies and tools and in turn integrate them into the dynamic Greenhouse Gas reduction programme.
8. Who are the participants?
In total PostEurop have 25 participants at the moment: In which
17 Actively Participants
Österreichische Post (Austria), CTT-Correios (Portugal), Deutsche Post World Net (Germany), La Poste/De Post/Die Post (Belgium), Hellenic Post – ELTA (Greece), Itella (Finland), Groupe La Poste (France), Magyar Posta (Hungary), Maltapost (Malta), Post Danmark (Denmark), Poste Italiane, (Italy), Posten AB (Sweden), Posten Norge (Norway), Royal Mail Group PLC (United Kingdom), Swiss Post (Switzerland), TNT (Netherlands).
8 Observing Participants
Poczta Polska(Poland), Posta Romana (Romania), Posten Åland (Finland), Turkish PTT (Turkey),Bulgarian Posts plc (Bulgaria),Cyprus Post (Cyprus),Poste Srpske(Bosnia),Montenegro Post(Montenegro)
9. Is data credible?
PostEurop has engaged an external consultant that checks and ensures the right application of the common methodology by members and recommend improvements according the audit criteria.
Revised on 15.12.2009