UPS released annual Corporate Sustainability Report

UPS  yesterday released  the company’s third annual Corporate SustainabilityReport. In the report UPS demonstrates its move forward on a number of important goals,

including increasing fuel efficiency, lowering aircraft emissions and reducing employee injuryrates. UPS was the first company in its industry to issue a sustainability report and topublicize its goals for business practices that enhance communities and protect the environment. Indoing so, UPS also had to develop several industry-specific metrics that appropriately measurebusiness impacts.

The first Corporate Sustainability Report, Operating in Unison, was issued in 2003 using data based on year-end 2002 information. Thevision, strategy and goals outlined in that initial document were set for 2007, UPS’s 100thanniversary. UPS is providing online annual updates until 2007, at which point a centennialsustainability report will be issued.

The 2004 Corporate Sustainability Report includes economic, social and environmental data.

Economic Sustainability

• For the third consecutive year, UPS was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, anindex of companies that meet specific sustainability criteria.
• In 2004, UPS was added to the FTSE4Good Index, a leading European index fund comprised ofsocially responsible companies.

Social Responsibility

• UPS awarded more than US$540 million in contracts through its Supplier Diversity program.
• Lost-time injuries per 200,000 hours were reduced by 29 percent.
• The second annual UPS Global Volunteer Week was a huge success, with triple the number ofvolunteers and volunteer hours compared to 2003.

Environmental Stewardship

• UPS continued to enhance its ground fleet with its “rolling laboratory” philosophy, deployingalternative-fuel vehicles to learn how new technologies can be adapted for use in the real world.Hydrogen fuel cell Sprinters and an electric vehicle were added to the fleet.
• The roll-out of Package Flow Technology into the U.S. package operation continued to reducemiles traveled, fuel consumption and fuel emissions through improved route planning, vehicleloading and package delivery.
• UPS Airlines, the world’s ninth largest airline, has begun a broad examination of additionalsteps that could reduce its fuel consumption.
• Renewable solar energy provides 70 percent of the power source for the UPS Palm Springs, Calif.facility. The 100-kilowatt solar panel array exceeded expectations in 2004 by producing 4.9 percentmore power than anticipated. Some 405,000 pounds of CO ₂ emissions have been saved since implementation in July 2003.