Tag: Climate change

An Post achieves 50% CO2 target early

An Post has achieved a 50% reduction in carbon emissions three months ahead of schedule, becoming one of the first national postal organisations in the world to reach this milestone—a rare example of a large semi-state commercial body delivering measurable climate impact while simultaneously growing its business and profits.
An Post’s original target of a 50% CO2 emissions reduction by 2030 was set in 2017; however, in 2021, An Post brought forward this target to the end of 2025, reflecting the urgency of delivering climate action and demonstrating its commitment to pursuing Ireland’s sustainability goals. Today’s announcement demonstrates tangible progress motivated by the 2015 Paris agreement and a 1.5-degree climate change limiting scenario, a key focus for the COP 30 Climate Change summit in Brazil. The transition to EVs and to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) in HGVs has created a cleaner, quieter and healthier environment for communities nationwide.
Through a €100m investment to decarbonise its operation, more than half of An Post’s delivery routes are now electrified by the nation’s largest electric vehicle fleet. A total of 95% of heavy vehicles have been switched to renewable HVO fuel, with 99% of its buildings now powered with green energy. This 50% milestone has been achieved despite a 300% increase in parcels, from 20 million delivered in 2009 to 78 million this year, representing 1.25 million extra parcels delivered each week.
Speaking at the announcement, David McRedmond, CEO at An Post said:
“At An Post our commitment to sustainability is real. We are building a cleaner, more resilient logistics network for decades to come. Achieving the 50% reduction target early is proof of how serious our commitment is. As the operator of the largest fleet in Ireland, this has required a relentless approach to electrifying the fleet and using renewable fuels. It is a huge credit to the frontline staff in An Post, across every community, that while transforming to a parcel logistics business they have also achieved a world-class standard in sustainability.
“Halving our emissions is a huge step, but it is only part of the journey. The next task is to meet net zero by 2030. Achieving the first of our targets gives us renewed confidence that we will also achieve this goal on time with more EVs, renewable fuel and energy. “We act for the common good, now, and for generations to come” is our promise, and today, thanks to the amazing efforts of An Post staff, our suppliers, and our customers, we can show that we are delivering.”
Commenting on An Post’s achievement of the 50% reduction target, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD said:
“I am delighted An Post has reached such a significant milestone and is using its growing electric fleet to drive delivery of parcels, letters and transformative change in environmental sustainability on the path to net zero.”
 
Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue TD added:
“I warmly welcome An Post’s excellent achievement, and I welcome the ambition to achieve net zero by 2030. I recognise that An Post and the post office network provide an excellent service and value to communities, and An Post is now also creating a cleaner, quieter, and healthier environment.”
Owen Keogh, An Post Head of Sustainability explained that An Post is now one of the largest electric vehicle operators per capita in the world.
“There is currently one EV for every 2,700 people in Ireland, and An Post is ranked amongst the top five global postal companies for sustainability, positioning it as a leader in decarbonised logistics and a model for public-sector transformation.
“Our experience with EVs has been exceptional with 50% fewer breakdowns and reduced mechanical interventions compared to diesel vehicles. An Post expects to extend EV leases to up to seven years from 2026. This year alone, An Post EVs will travel 18 million kilometres emissions-free, keeping Ireland moving with cleaner air for communities”, he added.
€200 million has been invested in An Post’s Green Light Strategy, transforming the business whilst driving both sustainability and strong commercial performance. The company is now halfway to net zero emissions by 2030 with additional EVs and HVO-fuelled trucks as well as more solar energy at buildings planned for the coming years. This 50% milestone demonstrates that sustainability and commercial success can advance together.

Treemetrics and AXA Climate Announce Global Partnership to Launch Innovative Forestry Insurance Product

AXA Climate, a leader in climate risk management, and Treemetrics, a pioneering forest management company, have announced a strategic global partnership aimed at delivering an innovative forestry insurance product.

This new insurance solution is designed to provide comprehensive cover for forestry fires and storms, addressing the escalating concerns of forestry owners and investors about the impacts of climate change.

As the frequency and severity of natural disasters continue to rise, driven by climate change, the need for robust and reliable insurance products has never been greater.

This partnership leverages the expertise of both companies to offer a product that not only provides financial protection but also employs cutting-edge technology and scientific insights to better understand and mitigate these risks.

Enda Keane, CEO of Treemetrics, highlighted the critical timing of this product launch, stating, “Over our past 19 years in business across the globe, we have observed firsthand the ever-increasing rise in catastrophic storms and fires. Our collaboration with AXA Climate aims to address these challenges head-on, providing forest owners with the security and peace of mind they need to manage their investments effectively.”

Quentin Voituron, speaking on behalf of AXA Climate, emphasized the innovative approach of the partnership, saying, “We look forward to partnering with Treemetrics to come up with a  fine-grained product that makes sense to forest owners and forest managers, at the right price!”

This partnership marks a significant step forward in providing comprehensive and technologically advanced solutions to the forestry sector, ensuring that forest owners can protect their assets and invest with confidence in a changing climate.

Climate action at work made easy with launch of Hurd App

Today is the launch of Hurd, a new, free app which helps employees demand more and do more on climate at work.

Hurd presents workers an opportunity to anonymously rate their company’s efforts to tackle the climate crisis, share success stories from their workplace, and use the platform’s e-learning resources to help them do more in their job.

Available on three platforms – Apple, Android and web – Hurd is designed to help employees connect their passion for contributing to the climate crisis to their jobs.

According to a recent study by Kite Insights, 83% of employees say they want to act on climate at work, and 70% say the ability to act on climate at work is important to their motivation and well-being.

Hurd will help users in four ways:

●       Rate your company on how it involves you in climate action – and what it can change.

●       Inspire and be inspired by sharing climate action success stories

●       Join a community of like-minded people in other organisations

●       Learn how you can make a difference in your role and industry

Sophie Lambin, founder & CEO of Hurd commented: “With Hurd, we want to focus on people as the ultimate force behind the potential to unlock positive tipping points.

“People and their willingness and ability to act at work is still untapped. Let’s give people the voice, the tools and the network to contribute to shifting the whole system faster and in a way that is inclusive.”

For every organisation, Hurd provides a Climate Empowerment Score, which measures how ready an organisation’s employees feel they are to act on climate.  The score is calculated by frequently asking users three quick but different questions. The questions assess their understanding of (‘Head’), their connection to (‘Heart’) and their ability to act on (‘Hands’) climate at work.

Every question in the app contributes to one of these three scores, and, ultimately, the Climate Empowerment Score.

The score will also act as a useful tool for job seekers who are looking to work for companies where they act on climate. They will hear directly from current employees about what their employer is really doing to tackle the climate crisis and what it means for their jobs.

Mike Fenna, Chief Technology Officer of Hurd, added: “Hurd is a bit like Glassdoor for climate – it amplifies employee voices and improves transparency to help celebrate the best performing organisations, and to help others learn from them.

“However, whereas Glassdoor takes a ‘once and done’ approach, Hurd takes a ‘little and often’ approach, building up an ever-evolving, and eventually comprehensive picture of the user’s experience of their ability to act on climate at work.”

Hurd understands that employees have limited time within their job responsibilities to take on climate action and offers micro-learning lessons that provide essential knowledge in around five minutes. The first lessons include how people can assess their organisation’s climate action, and also a series of lessons focused on different job roles, explaining what part to play they each have to help with the climate crisis, for example: ‘I’m in HR – what can I do?’.

Sophie added: “At Hurd, our mission is to make climate action at work easy; that means helping everyone understand how different jobs – from the warehouse to the boardroom – can have an impact on climate change. People are passionate about doing the right thing for the climate and we are here to help guide them to the actions they can take at work”

For more information and to sign up to Hurd, visit https://hurd.world/.