IPC: This year a record number of posts are joining the Green Postal Day campaign
Twenty-two posts worldwide are participating in the 5th edition of Green Postal Day, which coincides with Global Zero Emissions Day. Reducing the environmental impact of transportation and investing in alternative fuel vehicles are the key themes of this year’s edition.
Green Postal Day is a global campaign initiated by the CEOs of the postal operators that are participating in the IPC Sustainability Measurement and Management System (SMMS) programme, aiming to highlight the sustainability commitments made by postal organisations worldwide.
Holger Winklbauer, IPC CEO, said: “This year a record number of posts are joining the Green Postal Day campaign, from Europe, America, Asia and Oceania, showing the importance of working together as an industry to meet ambitious sustainability targets”.
As key players in the transport and logistics sector, postal operators have made significant investments to renew their fleet and progressively add alternative fuel vehicles, for last mile delivery as well as long-haul transportation.In 2022, posts involved in the postal sustainability programme operated a fleet of around 639,000 vehicles. Reducing the environmental impact of this network is a priority for the postal sector.
Between 2012 and 2022, posts more than doubled their share of alternative fuel vehicles (from 12% to 26% of the postal fleet). Electric vehicles now account for 20% of the postal fleet. Posts have also committed to have 50% of their overall fleet composed of electrical vehicles by 2030,While last-mile delivery remains a priority of posts for reducing carbon emissions, posts are also increasingly looking for low-carbon solutions for long-distance transportation as well.
Decarbonising long haul transport will be increasingly crucial to reduce the environmental impact of the sector. Technology piloted and refined for last mile is being gradually reconfigured to meet the different needs of long-haul operations.
Posts call for an acceleration in the roll out of alternative fuel options and charging facilities to support the development of viable low-emissions long haul transportation alternatives. Furthermore, posts seek further innovation in alternative fuel options for air freight.
About the SMMS programmeThe IPC Sustainability Measurement and Management System (SMMS) was launched in 2019 to address the sustainability objectives of the postal sector for the next ten years, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Currently 26 posts from America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania participate in the programme. It expands on the 2008-2019 Environmental Measurement and Monitoring System (EMMS) programme, which focused on reducing carbon emissions, and broadens the remit to the seven sustainability focus areas most relevant for the postal sector:– Health and safety– Learning and development – Resource efficiency– Climate change– Air quality– Circular economy– Sustainable procurement
