Sustainability Is What Keeps Businesses & Partners Together

Sustainability has undergone a significant shift in recent years. Once considered a mark of distinction, it's now become the expected standard. In fact, the idea of sustainability in business is so widespread that 97% of European SMEs plan to improve the sustainability of their products and services, and only 22%1 of worldwide leaders view sustainability as a business constraint. It’s safe to say that today’s baseline for environmental responsibility stands at a considerably higher level ౼ and rightly so! This new chapter of sustainability has emerged as the unifying force that binds businesses and their customers in a future-focused partnership. Why is this the case? Companies have complex, overlapping value chains, making it impossible for any single company to achieve sustainability on its own. 

In our competitive industry, to emerge as a key player requires companies to take a proactive stance on sustainability ౼ identifying it in their vision and ingraining it into their business in a way that makes everyone feel accountable. For true impact, initiatives and consequent actions must permeate beyond a single team and evolve into an integral part of the company culture. 

This new chapter of sustainability has emerged as the unifying force that binds businesses and their customers in a future-focused partnership.

Recognising the power of shared value creation through economic, social and environmental responsibility, Geopost prioritises sustainability as a core business strategy, yielding benefits across all Geopost and for our clients and consumers. But it’s so much more than a strategic priority; it's reflected in our values as well. Our commitment to sustainability guides how to do  better business, We put this commitment into action by actively supporting our clients and partners in achieving their sustainability goals as we are all part of the same playing field.  

I believe that sustainability stands out as a means to move forward, for both Geopost and our clients. Driven by this conviction, we developed our Carbon Calculator. This accredited digital tool enables clients to have visibility of Scope 3 emissions data for their parcels within the Geopost network – data they typically lack. This information fills a critical gap, as roughly 75% 2 of a company’s total carbon footprint falls outside their direct control. Earning client trust with reliable Scope 3 data, we help them understand their footprint and make informed choices on their carbon strategy.  

This accredited digital tool [Carbon Calculator] enables clients to have visibility of Scope 3 emissions data for their parcels within the Geopost network – data they typically lack

Carbon calculators usually measure general CO2 emissions of individual clients. At Geopost, we decided to go beyond “general”, and provide more precise CO2 information to our clients. We developed a calculator that takes the necessary variables into account in order to measure CO2 impact. Leveraging scan events, our calculator delivers precise, parcel-level accounting. Clients can analyse emissions by transport chain and destination country, identifying trends and pinpointing areas for optimisation. This data helps clients make strategic decisions to effectively reduce carbon emissions. The reliability of the data generated by our Carbon Calculator fuels our leadership in the conversation about trustworthy carbon footprint measurement.  
And our clients know that partnering with Geopost means gaining invaluable insights they can trust to help achieve sustainability goals. This element of trust underpins any relationship, business or otherwise. 

Our Carbon Budget is another way that we continue to fortify stakeholder trust. By linking our financial budget to decarbonisation investments, we’re spearheading further integration of sustainability into the core of business practices. This internal governance tool ensures that we’re not just making bold commitments for the sake of keeping up with expectations. Instead, we underline the challenges associated with achieving Net Zero, and we’re putting in the work to get to our goals. Concretely, the budget allows us to ensure that our investments in carbon reduction keep pace with our decarbonisation pathway. To drive decarbonisation efforts, this programme establishes annual CO2 emission limits for each of our brands, ensuring their investments directly contribute to meeting carbon reduction goals. 

At Geopost, we are committed to becoming an international reference in sustainable delivery. Accomplishing this requires us to continue to set ౼ and meet ౼ ambitious targets. One landmark achievement on this roadmap was the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approval of our near- and long-term CO2 emissions-reduction targets. This was particularly noteworthy because we became the very first global parcel delivery company to have Net Zero emissions strategy validated by science! 

And our clients know that partnering with Geopost means gaining invaluable insights they can use to achieve their sustainability goals. This element of trust is crucial in any relationship, business or otherwise.

As we look towards the future and the climate challenges that lie ahead, we recognise that our entire industry needs to transform. A staggering 52% of citizens hold companies accountable for slow progress on climate issues. We take this responsibility seriously, continually transforming our operations, evolving our tools and expanding functionalities, to emerge as a strong sustainability partner. For example, data will continue to play an important role in our Carbon Calculator. Today, we can inform customers based on past shipments ౼ tomorrow, we will proactively leverage data to provide clients with accurate carbon emissions estimates before they even send a parcel. 

 We're not just focused on our own operations; fostering sustainable practices among consumers is another key investment. While cost remains a major factor, simple ways exist for consumers to reduce last mile emissions.  

Our myDPD app, for example, empowers customers to reschedule deliveries they'll miss, eliminating unnecessary trips (and the associated emissions!). Additionally, we're developing user-friendly communication that encourages low carbon choices, like picking up packages by foot or bike. These virtual alerts, for example, would celebrate successful first-attempt deliveries or choosing low-emission options. By influencing daily routines, we can play our part in contributing to the critical effort to curb carbon emissions. 

We take this responsibility seriously, continually improving our tools and expanding functionalities to better serve both our clients and the planet.

As we continue to strive towards our Net Zero goal, we hold steadfastly to our core belief that good business is good for business. I am convinced that, because our clients identify their values in ours, they continue to choose us as a trusted partner. With this shared dedication to boosting the importance given to sustainability, how do we keep up the momentum in face of the challenges ahead? By building strong partnerships and collaboration - this is what will power our path forward.