UPS Discusses CO2 Emission Transparency as part of Logistics Supply Chain, Is Information Delivery Next?

Logistics Management has an article about UPS’s Sustainability Report.

Green logistics: UPS lays out CO2 emissions reduction goals in new sustainability report

Jeff Berman, Group News Editor -- Logistics Management, 7/7/2009

ATLANTA—UPS said today it plans to reduce its airline carbon emissions by an additional 20 percent from 2005 to 2020, which would be a cumulative reduction of 42 percent since 1990.

This objective was disclosed in its annual UPS Sustainability Report, which noted that UPS Airlines has a firm position as an industry leader in fuel efficiency in the package delivery sector, with an efficiency factor of 1.42 CO2 pounds per available ton mile—and a goal to reduce that factor to 1.24 CO2 pounds per available ton mile by 2020.

Distribution is a key point of eCommerce sites like eBay and Amazon.

McIntire added that UPS also wants to be a reliable supply chain partner for shippers, which is why it now has transparency in its CO2 emissions reporting [Scope 1, 2, and 3] and emissions-reduction goals.”

“UPS has taken a bold step in terms of their willingness to provide data related to their direct and indirect carbon emissions, as well as their call requiring all transportation and logistics companies to report their direct and indirect emissions,” said Brittain Ladd, director of logistics and manufacturing at Cognizant Technology Solutions and a leading expert on green supply chains and logistics. “The challenge, however, is that not all transportation and logistics companies have an infrastructure in place or the tools necessary to accurately capture and report their carbon emissions.”

But with so many different consulting firms and 3PL's able to provide support to provide transportation and logistics providers—and shippers—with the expertise and tools to accurately capture and report their emissions, Ladd said he sees no reason why there won't be universal reporting of direct and indirect carbon emissions from all transportation and logistics providers within just a few years.

“The report from UPS is also just one more indication that the issue of carbon emissions and their impact on supply chains continues to grow in importance to businesses, customers and shareholders,” noted Ladd.

On page 74 of the 106 page UPS Sustainability Report is a bit about UPS data centers.

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