UPS to “deliver a more sustainable future for Dublin”
UPS and the University of Dublin’s Trinity College Dublin have announced a five-year sustainability partnership.
Commenting on the move, Andy Smith, UPS Ireland Country Manager said: “UPS is committed to addressing the environmental challenges facing the logistics sector by partnering with influential organisations,”
“This collaboration with Trinity College Dublin will help us deliver a more sustainable future for Dublin, reducing carbon emissions on campus and in the city, while inspiring students to develop ideas that will benefit the local community for years to come.”
The new partnership sees the launch of two initiatives at Trinity College Dublin’s campus in the city centre. A UPS ‘urban eco package hub’ will act as a mini distribution centre for parcel deliveries, which are now distributed on foot and via UPS electrically-assisted cargo cycles. Meanwhile, Trinity students and staff can collect their online shopping parcels on campus any time of day or night thanks to newly installed lockers operated by Parcel Motel, a UPS company.
“Trinity’s steadfast commitment to sustainability is driven by both staff and students, from research and education programmes to practical campus initiatives,” said Dr Patrick Prendergast, Provost of Trinity College Dublin. “This partnership with UPS will benefit the college community, both with the installation of the new parcel delivery solutions on campus and for students to participate in valuable internship and employment opportunities at UPS.”
The introduction of the on-campus urban eco package hub complements UPS’s existing eco package hub on Wolfe Tone Street operating since 2017, and allows the company to make up to 720 delivery stops a day via more environmentally-friendly vehicles in Dublin. Through these hubs UPS has eliminated the use of five diesel delivery vehicles in the city centre, easing congestion and reducing CO2 emissions by up to 45%.
UPS has developed these ‘last mile’ delivery solutions in response to the rise in e-commerce, which has led to an increase in residential delivery stops, causing challenges in busy urban cities.
Under the new partnership, Trinity College Dublin students will also have the opportunity to participate in UPS internships and graduate programmes at any one of its European locations, along with a range of sustainability workshops and projects being developed by the organisations to generate sustainable ideas for the future.
