Australia Post has revealed its first Environmental Action Plan as part of its commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 25% by 2020, and save $10 million every year through environmentally sustainable programs.
The plan was announced on World Environment Day (5 June) “to shape ongoing reporting and future activities that will lead to long-term sustainability”, Australia Post explained.
The company’s Chief Financial Officer Janelle Hopkins said that by driving sustainability, resources can be released to better explore new areas and improve customer experience.
"That saving of $10 million every year enables Australia Post to invest more in improving and creating services our customers want to use. Since 2000 we have reduced our carbon emissions by 20%, which is significant given domestic parcel volumes are continuing to grow, and more than two million parcels were delivered in a single day during Christmas last year,” she said.
"In the last eight years we have been working to aggressively reduce our carbon footprint, even going beyond our own sites to account for our third-party supply chain. Our first ever Environmental Action Plan is a step towards continuing to reduce carbon emissions and achieve our target of a 25% reduction by 2020,” Hopkins added.
Last year, Australia Post installed the country's largest single-roof solar panel system at the Sydney Parcels Facility, which Hopkins said alone saves $800,000 every year within their solar energy programme as part of which over 48 sites are now equipped with solar panels. "We are seeing immediate returns as we unlock renewable energy at some of our busiest sites, which helps to insulate the business against rising energy prices."
The postal operator leverages its existing network to support communities. Through partnerships with groups like TerraCycle, Planet Ark and Mobile Muster 26,000 tonnes of material from landfill could be removed. Australia Post also helped develop the world-first Nespresso recycling satchel to send used coffee pods to a purpose-built recycling centre.
Australia Post has also committed to five United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals: 7 (affordable and clean energy), 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 12 (responsible consumption and production), and 13 (climate action).
