Royal Mail: Environment is the next battleground for businesses

Royal Mail today launches an ambitious new environment plan, which includes a long-term target to reduce its average carbon emissions per parcel it delivers in the UK from 205gCO₂e today to 50gCO₂e. 

The company has also brought forward its Net Zero target by 10 years to 2040 and is committing to near term emissions targets in line with climate science*, reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2025/26 and Scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030, from a 2020/1 base year.

Royal Mail’s 90,000 posties walk over a billion steps a day, delivering to 31 million addresses. These ‘feet on the street’ help make the company the  greenest option for delivering parcels, based on competitors’ reported emissions**.

Yet the four-pillar Steps to Zero plan goes further, recognising the urgency of addressing climate change.  Each pillar features ambitious new commitments, including:

• Net Zero deliveries: Rolling out more electric vans for final mile deliveries, with 5,500 vans by Spring 2023
• Net Zero operations: 100% renewable electricity across the Royal Mail business, reducing reliance on domestic flights and increasing the use of rail

• Making circular happen: Transforming operations to embrace the circular economy and helping our customers do the same through our Parcel Collect service

• Collaborating for action: Calling for standardised industry-wide reporting on CO₂e per parcel so customers can make an informed decision, and collaborating with partners to speed up the roll out of electric and low emission vehicles across the UK

 Simon Thompson, Chief Executive Officer at Royal Mail, said: “A seven-day parcel service, to and from the customer’s door, delivered by a postie you trust and with the lowest emissions is the winning proposition. Environment is the next battleground for businesses and we are determined to lead. Setting an ambitious target to reduce parcel emissions to 50 gCO₂e demonstrates our commitment to driving change and minimising our impact on the environment.

“We now merchandise the emissions per parcel for every delivery on the Royal Mail App, so customers can understand the impact of their order on the planet. We want to go much further and transform the way we collect, process and deliver the 10 billion letters and parcels we handle each year. All this means we can pull forward our net zero target by ten years to 2040.”

Royal Mail will report on Steps to Zero annually in June through the company’s ESG Report and the commitments will be assured by independent auditors.

Steps to Zero – www.royalmail.com/sustainability/stepstozero