IPC’s green Posts group “on track” to hit targets early, despite emissions increase
The International Postal Corporation has said its group of 25 national postal operators striving to cut their carbon emissions are now “well on track” to meet their environmental targets early.
The confidence came despite the first increase in emissions for the group since the the IPC’s Environmental Measurement and Monitoring Programme began in 2009.
The group, which includes some of the world’s leading Posts, is aiming to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2020, compared to a 2008 baseline.
The IPC said that since the programme started, as a pilot in 2009 involving 16 Posts, the group has achieved a 19.2% decrease in carbon emissions.
The Brussels-based organisation said 13 operators had already reached the 20% target as of last year.
However, between 2013 and 2014, “significant” cuts in emissions among the programme participants have been counteracted by increases in emissions from the use of heating and road transport.
The IPC said the causes for the emission increases included harsh winters in some countries, and the significant increase in one operator’s delivery network size, which led to higher fuel consumption to serve the additional addresses.
The global growth in e-commerce is also taking an effect on emissions, the IPC said, with the rising number of parcel deliveries making reduction targets more challenging.
IPC said Posts would have to switch to renewable forms of energy to help mitigate emission increases.
“Stabilisation”
Commenting on the results, Herbert-Michael Zapf, President and CEO of IPC, said: “Over the past years, we have witnessed how posts have implemented measures that had an immediate effect on CO2 reductions. After five years of substantial reductions posts are getting closer to the 20% reduction target by 2020 and we now for the first time see a stabilisation of emissions and a slowing down of the reduction pace.
“To minimise the negative influences of a more and more extreme climate it is important to switch to renewable forms of energy, be it self-generated or purchased, when all possible consumption reductions have been accomplished. On top of that, switching to renewable energy will also substantially decrease our sector’s carbon emissions in general.”
The 25 Posts taking part in the EMMS programme include the likes of USPS, Deutsche Post, Royal Mail, PostNL, La Poste, Canada Post, Swiss Post, Australia Post and Poste Italiane. The most recent new members have included Brazil Post, the Nigerian Postal Service and the South African Post Office.
