UPS has announced the company will commemorate World Environment Day on 5 June by matching the carbon offsets of all parcels shipped via its carbon neutral program during the month of June. UPS carbon neutral counterbalances the estimated carbon impact of each shipment by purchasing certified carbon offsets.
“There is truly no better way to honour World Environment Day than to facilitate actions that will help the planet,” said Suzanne Lindsay-Walker, UPS chief sustainability officer (CSO) and vice president of environmental affairs. “UPS hopes to create more awareness about our carbon neutral shipping option so additional customers will take advantage of it, thus helping to fund large-scale carbon reduction programs and reduce the total carbon impact of shipping on the environment.”
To participate, shippers pay a small fee to offset the carbon footprint of shipping their parcels then UPS will match these offsets throughout June. This is essentially doubling the shipper’s impact thereby allowing the shipper to potentially net out “carbon negative” in June. The per parcel flat rate price for the optional service is £0.10 for domestic shipments, £0.20 for shipments destined to the EU, as well as for UPS Standard shipments to Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, £0.50 for shipments destined outside of the EU and for UPS Expedited, and £12.50 per pallet for UPS Worldwide Express Freight shipments.
UPS started its carbon neutral program in 2010 and offsets more than 60 million parcels annually for customers, which equates to more than 100,000 metric tonnes of carbon offset each year. UPS has supported projects worldwide that include forestation, landfill gas destruction, and wastewater treatment. UPS carbon neutral option is verified by Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), an inspection, testing, and verification company. Additionally, UPS’s carbon offset process adheres to The CarbonNeutral Protocol from Natural Capital Partners.
UPS’s carbon neutral offering is just one way the company is helping shippers reduce their impact on the environment. Customers can also choose more sustainable last mile delivery options and solutions designed for more efficient returns. One option is to direct parcels to UPS Access Point® locations.
Where consolidated deliveries can take place for multiple consumers preventing several delivery attempts to a single residence. Customers can also participate in UPS’s Eco Responsible Packaging Program or UPS can conduct a carbon impact analysis on their shipping. On the returns front, UPS works with a company called Optoro, using its returns optimisation platform that helps shippers in the US maximise recovery value and reduce items going to landfills.
Furthermore, customers benefit from the carbon reduction efforts UPS undertakes in its own operations. During the last decade, UPS has invested more than $1 billion on alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles as well as supporting infrastructure. The company is now the largest user of renewable natural gas in the transportation industry and has a specialised alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet of more than 10,300 vehicles. Recently, UPS announced plans to purchase more than 6,000 natural gas trucks through 2022. And, in January, UPS announced an investment in the UK-based technology startup firm Arrival and committed to buy 10,000 of their electric vehicles. UPS is an important part of its customers’ supply chains and continues to offer sustainability solutions that impact their value chains.
UPS will automatically match all offsets during the month of June. To start shipping more sustainably today, please click here. For more information on UPS’s ongoing sustainability initiatives, visit www.ups.com/sustainability, and stay tuned for the company’s upcoming 18th annual Sustainability Report when it is released on 30 June 2020.