UPS has achieved an A+ designation for ‘superior transparency’ according to the environmentalstandards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and saved 50 million litres of fuel and 83,000
metric tonnes of CO2 emissions last year, as its newly published Sustainability Report shows.The Global Reporting Initiative is a non-profit organisation that promotes economic,environmental and social sustainability. It provides companies and organisations with acomprehensive sustainability reporting framework that is widely used around the world.
UPS said it is one of only ten US corporations registered to date this year with GRI that hadachieved A+ status. UPS Chairman and CEO Scott Davis said: “One of the guiding principles to UPS’ssustainability strategy is our commitment to transparency. We are disclosing more information thanever. We have reported our five-year progress, successes and challenges. Now, we are focusedahead.”
According to the UPS Sustainability Report, the company exceeded four of the seven keysustainability goals for 2011, including employee safety, auto accident frequency, aircraftemissions and full-time employee retention. It also made some progress on the other goals such asefficiency of jet fuel use, employee satisfaction and charitable contributions, but didn’t fullymeet them.
In addition to meeting a major part of the sustainability goals, UPS Chief SustainabilityOfficer Scott Wicker cited other achievements, among which was driving 85 million miles by usingadvanced route-planning technology. This saved the company 8.4 million gallons of fuel and 83,000metric tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2011. Moreover, the increasing deployment of telematicstechnology eliminated more than 98 million minutes of engine idling time, saving more than 2million litres of fuel. For the whole year 2011, UPS reduced its overall emissions by 3.5%, despitean increase in parcel volumes of 1.8%.
For the first time, the company introduced a “materiality matrix” that identifies how thecompany’s interests match or differ from those of other stakeholders. The matrix will be used toguide the company as it sets future sustainability priorities, Wicker added.
Also for the first time, the report provides examples of the company’s direct and indirecteconomic impact, with UPS paying $3.1 billion in taxes, $2 billion in dividends, $27.6 billion inemployee compensation and benefits and $78 million paid to small and diverse suppliers. The companyemploys a total of 398,242 permanent employees, including 77,706 outside the United States.
“Our annual sustainability report encapsulates the performance, ambitions and goals of UPS, fromeconomic, social and environmental perspectives,” explained Wicker. This year, the report alsoincludes essays, infographics and opinion pieces on the company’s stance on biofuels, the future offuels and energy, greenhouse gas management, how UPS trains its future leaders and how The UPSFoundation is meeting community needs, Wicker added.
