Swiss Post has announced that it is now offering its customers the opportunity to offset the CO2emissions of postal consignments with a “pro clima” surcharge.
The offset option applies to both domestic and international consignments and can bepurchased at the post office counter or with WebStamp. When mailing letters, parcels and goods thecustomer pays the “pro clima” surcharge, and the consignment is thus carbon-neutral.
To mail a letter, the surcharge varies between CHF 0.01 (0.67 euro cents) and CHF 0.10 (6.7euro cents), depending on the destination country. The surcharge for mailing domestic parcels andletters ranges from CHF 0.01 to CHF 0.10. For international consignments, small consignments andcourier services the prices vary, depending on the destination and service.
Swiss Post will also offset emissions caused as a result of mailing its own correspondence.The company says that the pro-clima revenues will be channelled into CO2 emission certificates fromprojects such as solar installations and wind parks.
This move is part of Swiss Post’s three-tier environmental strategy. Firstly, it aims toreduce energy consumption as far as possible. Secondly, it is replacing energies from non-renewablesources with renewable energies. Finally, it will offset energy consumption that cannot be saved orreplaced with renewable energies.
