By introducing the TOTAL ZERO program, DPD Polska, as the first company in the courier services market, offers all parcels delivered by it as carbon-neutral, at no additional cost to the company’s customers.
The commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions will be achieved through a three-stage mechanism, which consists of: measuring carbon dioxide emissions, reducing carbon dioxide emitted by DPD Polska, and then offsetting. By implementing Total Zero, DPD commits to constantly reducing its negative impact on the environment by undertaking a series of internal company initiatives aimed at reducing CO2 emissions.
Carbon dioxide emissions by the entire DPD network have been regularly measured since 2006, and their level has been reduced throughout this time. At the same time, the owner of the DPD network – GeoPost Group – compensates for unavoidable CO2 emissions through a partnership with a renowned French organization – CDC Climat.
The remaining part of the emitted carbon dioxide, which is approximately 500,000 tons per year, will be offset through projects indicated by CDC Climat. CO2 credits will be used to compensate for greenhouse gases emitted by the company.
– Total Zero was born at DPD from the conviction that the logistics industry, which emits large amounts of carbon dioxide, must take care to reduce it, and thus increase its care for the environment – says Rafał Nawłoka, CEO of DPD Polska. – DPD will continue to look at all aspects of its operations in terms of CO2 emissions per parcel, which is already significantly lower than that of competitors, due to the fact that we use our European road network rather than air transport. The international reputation of CDC Climat and its long-term commitment to minimizing CO2 emissions makes it the ideal offset partner for the implementation of the Total Zero program.
– Total Zero, for an industry as challenging in terms of emissions as logistics, means a real commitment not only to reducing carbon dioxide emissions but also to long-term low-emission forecasting and management – said Pierre Ducret, CEO of CDC Climat. – CDC Climat works closely with the company to define the scope of offset projects supported through Total Zero, which can be very diverse, from overseas projects implemented in developing countries to local programs implemented in Europe. The amount of carbon neutralized annually per parcel will decrease year by year due to the impact of various pro-environmental initiatives undertaken locally.
Local initiatives undertaken by DPD Polska to support the reduction of CO2 emissions include:
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environmental education within the organization and in its external environment (email footers, “save light” stickers, ecological newsletters),
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rationalization of use and protection of natural resources (eco-toilets, sensor-activated faucets, energy-saving light bulbs),
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responsible waste management, including segregation and minimization of generated waste (saving foil, paper, operational materials), and
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reduction of CO2 through optimization of the operational network.
Total Zero applies to both business shipments and individual customer parcels. Since July 2012, every parcel delivered by the DPD network in France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland has been carbon-neutral. Other countries will gradually join this group.