FedEx has set itself a new goal to increase vehicle fuel efficiency by 50% by 2025, saved more than 153 million gallons of jet fuel in 2016 and increased its fleet of alternative fuel vehicles to more than 2,700 last year, a 44% increase since 2015.
These are a few of the major highlights in the company's 2017 Global Citizenship Report (GCR) whose online release was announced yesterday.
The GCR includes annual updates on FedEx's environmental, community and economic development initiatives.
After achieving its goal of increasing vehicle fuel efficiency by 30% by 2020 in 2015 and thus five years early, FedEx Express has revised its vehicle fuel efficiency goal now aiming to increase vehicle fuel efficiency by 50% by 2025 from a 2005 baseline.
In terms of fuel savings, the company saved over 153 million gallons of jet fuel last year by continuing to modernise its aircraft fleet and improve operations. The savings equal 230 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
As for alternative fuel vehicles, FedEx increased its fleet to over 2,700 of such vehicles, which corresponds to an increase of nearly 44% compared to FY 2015.
As another important environmental achievement, FedEx avoided more than two million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions through fuel and energy saving initiatives across the company in 2016. This is the equivalent to the carbon sequestered by more than 1.9 million acres of US forest in just one year.
In addition, three new solar installations came online in 2016 bringing the total to 18, which helps maintain the company’s ranking as one of the top corporate users of solar power in the USA, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
“FedEx is committed to advancing its vision of practical sustainability,” Mitch Jackson, vice president, Environmental Affairs & Sustainability, FedEx Corp., said. “Thanks to the innovation and commitment of our team members, we’re changing what is possible and making our goals a reality.”
Other highlights from this year’s Global Citizenship Report include FedEx investing more than $46 million in 97 global community programmes in FY16, as part of its FedEx Cares charitable giving programme. The goal of the initiative is to invest $200 million in 200 communities by 2020 to create opportunities and deliver positive change around the world.
In terms of economic development, FedEx said a diverse workforce, supplier base and culture enabled it to better serve customers. The company spent $9.2 billion with small, women-owned and minority-owned suppliers, a 37% increase from FY15. Customers who sought information about the company’s corporate citizenship and carbon emissions data as part of their purchasing process accounted for $6.7 billion in FY16 revenue.
On people-related topics, Fedex said that it retained 88% of its full-time US employees, up from FY15. In addition, team members volunteered more than 93,000 hours in more than 500 cities worldwide last year.
