Among other things, the report shows that the company's own emissions continued to decline. Over the past year, emissions fell by ten percent. Occupational safety improved significantly.

Posti Group’s Sustainability Report, published today, describes how Posti has promoted its goals in the areas of economic, social, and environmental responsibility during the reporting year. As in previous years, the framework of the report is the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). 

Posti is committed to reducing its own emissions to zero and transport fossil-free by 2030, i.e., within nine years. The goal includes both own road transport and what’s been done with partners.

Posti's own emissions fell by ten per cent last year compared to the previous year. A year earlier, emissions fell by 14 per cent, so the journey towards zero emissions continued at a good level. In total, Posti's own emissions in Finland have decreased by almost 60 percent since 2011.

Last year, our zero-emission targets were approved by the Science Based Targets Climate Initiative. Globally, we are one of the three companies in our industry that is committed to the most strictest goals. In the long term, Posti is committed to net zero targets. SBTi approvals for net zero targets will be launched this year, when their criteria were finalized in late 2021. Posti will seek approval for our goal of achieving a net by 2040.

In October 2021, Posti was awarded as the winner of the emission reduction category of World Sustainability Awards 2021.

Every tenth Finnish gas truck used by Posti

Fossil-free transport is achieved primarily through electric vehicles and the use of renewable fuels such as biogas and renewable diesel.

Posti now has about a hundred electric vans and the number will double this year. In mid-November, we reported on the first electric truck we had. In heavy traffic, Posti has Finland's largest biogas fleet of 19 trucks. At present, about one in ten gas trucks in our country is used by Posti. Renewable diesel was introduced in parcel distribution as early as in 2020.

The parcel home distribution was renewed in Helsinki in the autumn of 2021 and is now done 100% with electric vehicles. The service will be expanded to other major cities this year.

“The distribution at urban centers is now being electrified at a rapid pace. Electrification not only supports climate goals, it also improves the air quality of busy centers,” says Noomi Jägerhorn, Posti's Sustainability Director.

In total, Posti drove 12.6 million kilometers fossil-free in Finland last year. In addition to this figure, more than 40 per cent of households in postal deliveries are reached fossil-free by various light electric vehicles. In addition to electric vans, Posti uses almost 1,500 light e-vehicles, such as electric freight scooters.

“We have been working for our purpose for almost 400 years: responsibly delivering what matters to you - on your terms. In order to continue to carry out this task for centuries to come, we need to be able to operate without emissions and in a way that people are feeling well.” 

From offsets towards real emission reductions

Until now, Posti has offset its emissions in Finland by participating in certified climate projects. Emissions from all Posti's Finnish operations have yet been offset in 2021, but the company has decided not to continue offsetting from 2022 onwards.

Posti committed to the Science Based Targets climate initiative in the summer of 2020, and in August 2021 SBTi approved Posti's targets in line with climate science. Compensation cannot be used as a means of achieving the climate objectives adopted by the SBTi.

“When we started voluntary emissions compensation ten years ago, there were significantly fewer ways to truly reduce our own emissions. Now there are ways and companies have a duty to use existing technology to push emissions towards zero as quickly as possible,” says Jägerhorn.

"We have decided to put all our resources now to promote genuinely fossil-free transport, and that's why we gave up compensation."

Strong progress in improving occupational safety

To reduce accidents, Posti measures accident frequency meter LTA1 (occupational accidents / million working hours). The Group-wide accident rate was 23, an improvement of 32 per cent on the previous year. The accident rate in Finland was 26, an improvement of 30 per cent on the previous year. The number of accidents in the Group decreased by approximately 26 percent and the number of serious accidents at work by 18 percent. The goal is to reduce the accident rate to less than 20 by 2023. 

“We launched a new sustainability program a year ago, and at the heart of it, in addition to our environmental work, is to create a respectful and safe work community where our employees can take pride in their mail and the work they do,” says Jägerhorn.

Posti introduced a new tool for measuring the Group's personnel experience and commitment, which enables the systematic development of the people-related themes of the sustainability program.  

Read more from Posti’s sustainability report, which can be downloaded here. 

Source: Posti Group