Postal Industry Launches Global Carbon Measurement System

Logistics Insight Asia - Top Story, 10/6/2008

International Post Corporation leads industry response to carbon emissions.

The International Post Corporation (IPC) has launched an environmental measurement and monitoring system providing a common carbon measurement and reporting framework for the global postal industry.

The launch and formal adoption by IPC member postal operators including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, and the UK, took place at IPC’s Annual Conference 2008 in La Chapelle en Serval, France on 30 May. The event was attended by CEOs from Europe, the Asia-Pacific and North America.

The system provides the postal industry with a transparent, scientific, sector specific carbon management and measurement system based on the requirements of international best practice standards, such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, DJSI, FTSE4Good, ISO 14001, and current best practice from the corporate environment. The system evaluates performance through the application of a scoring system that grades performance in ten carbon management proficiency areas and in key numeric carbon efficiency indicators.

The environmental measurement and monitoring system was also built on best practice as exemplified by customers of IPC members and is highly responsive to customer requirements and interests in measuring their own carbon footprint in their value chains.

“This is the first time that a supply industry has come together to address its impact on the environment.” said Herbert-Michael Zapf, CEO of IPC. “The IPC Environmental Measurement and Monitoring System provides our members with a way of measuring and benchmarking their initiatives and optimizing their effectiveness. It can be used by all postal operators, regardless of size or what stage they are at in their environmental programs.”

The system will be piloted in 2008, with results from the first round of measurement expected to be announced in November 2009.

International Postal Corporation, www.ipc.be