At an announcement last month, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton, TD, confirmed that the nation’s postal service, An Post, will be making big changes to how it delivers post in the years to come.
It has promised that by the end of 2019, all deliveries in Dublin city centre will be made using zero-emission modes of transport such as EVs (including vans) and bicycles. This, the Minister said, would be part of the company’s ‘Post Eco’ plan to remove all carbon emissions from its service by 2050.
Also, under the plan, the zero-emission postal deliveries strategy will be expanded to Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford by 2020. A total of 750 EVs will gradually replace older, urban vehicles by 2022, with a total of 200 being put on Irish roads this year.
To facilitate the EVs, An Post will trial public charging points outside post offices as well as installing solar panels on its buildings, with this to be connected to local community-based environmental initiatives.
The State service said these initiatives brought in this year will reduce its carbon emissions by 1,000 tonnes annually.
“We must step up Ireland’s response to climate disruption. It is vital that every aspect of our society seeks ways to reduce … carbon impact, and the public service and our semi-State bodies must be the first to show that [they take] policies for sustainability seriously, if we are to persuade the rest of society to make the step changes which we need to make,” Minister Bruton said.
“Today’s announcement shows that An Post is taking the lead and recognising the urgency of taking action in adapting to the changes that are needed. By placing sustainability at the core of their business strategy, they are leading by example.”
Adding to this, An Post CEO David McRedmond said: “As An Post moves from the old world of mail to the new world of e-commerce, sustainability has to be the guiding principle for the business.
“An Post is transforming for generations to come; as a major employer with a huge fleet footprint, this demands responsible climate action with this commitment to carbon-free delivery.”
Colm Gorey
This article first appeared on www.siliconrepublic.com and can be found at:
https://www.siliconrepublic.com/machines/an-post-zero-emission-fleet-2022
Ireland
