Postal Sector Carbon Target
11 December 2009
An Post is playing its part at the UN Climate Change Conference committing to a 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020.
The initiative was announced in Copenhagen this morning as An Post and 20 International Postal Corporation (IPC) members including La Poste (France), United States Postal Service, Royal Mail and Swiss Post signed up to a new environmental management and monitoring system for rating postal operators’ performance on carbon management and emissions.
IPC represents posts from Europe, Asia Pacific and the US, who together account for 80 per cent of global mail volumes, 275 million addresses, 600,000 vehicles and 100,000 facilities.
An Post has progressed carbon reduction through energy and waste management for several years and a company-wide focus on sustainability has already yielded carbon reductions and cost savings. The company has recently opted to contract its electricity supply from 100% renewable sources from next year.
“This will further improve our carbon output” explained Barney Whelan, An Post Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs. “An Post has 600 premises and a 3,000-strong road fleet – one of the largest in the country - so sustainable working and environmental management is a priority for us, together with the need for efficiency and cost saving,” he added.
Among the package of measures put together by An Post are:
- 20% reduction in carbon emission by 2020.
- 100% electricity needs from renewable sources in 2010.
- 70% office waste diverted away from landfill.
- Building Energy Rating for large company buildings.
- Savings on utilities and fuel costs.
Significant efficiencies are also emerging from advanced driver training, fuel management and the use of Ad Blue bio-fuel additive.
A Building Energy Rating exercise is underway in the Company’s largest premises, including its four national mail hubs in Dublin, Cork, Athlone and Portlaoise to make more efficient use of energy at each location. Heating and lighting control systems have already achieved savings in the region of €100,000, while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions.
Integrated waste management systems at the company’s GPO HQ and 13 other sites in the Dublin area have yielded savings of more than €80,000 and up to 70 per cent of office waste has been diverted away from landfill. A pilot scheme within one mails delivery service unit (DSU) has reduced water charges by €800 per annum.
During 2010 An Post will put in place a system to measure, verify and report data. This will see An Post setting internal indicators and targets across its mails and retail business as well as working with other IPC member posts to progress reductions of 20 per cent in carbon emissions by 2020.
