ISLAMABAD: The postal sector continues to take positive steps forward in reducing its environmental impact as world leaders discuss actions for climate change,
Knowledge sharing among posts will be extremely important moving forward as a lot can be learned from the various green initiatives being undertaken worldwide, said a press release.
“A key sustainability challenge for the postal sector is to do more with less, so that means increasing our social and economic impact for customers and governments, whilst simultaneously reducing our greenhouse gas emissions,” explained James Hale, Environment and Sustainable Development Expert at the UPU.
At the 27th Universal Postal Congress in Abidjan earlier this year, the UPU set out its intentions for greater action and cooperation in the fight against climate change, passing a resolution Hale described as “a major step forward.”
The resolution commits the UPU to investigate possible emission reduction targets and carbon-neutral cross-border services in the postal sector. It will also encourage knowledge sharing on emission reduction strategies, climate finance, and climate adaptation.
The UPU already supports carbon reporting across the postal sector through its Online Solution for Carbon Analysis and Reporting (OSCAR).
The COP26 Climate Change Conference, which has entered its second week of talks in Glasgow, Scotland, has focused the world’s attention on the road to net zero.
“The resolution puts us in a strong position at a time when governments are gathering in Glasgow for the COP26 Summit, and a key issue that is going to be discussed is climate finance. This is a huge opportunity for the postal sector because collectively if we work together, we can access funding for infrastructure improvements, particularly infrastructure that is a climate-resilient and low carbon,” Hale added.