The future is green

Managing our impacts on the environment is a strategic imperative for our business. As well as conserving the natural environment, strong environmental management can help control costs and drive business performance.

Kristin Hughes, head of corporate responsibility and community investment, shared some insights into our strategy:

'Royal Mail’s iconic red trucks and vans are a familiar sight on Britain’s roads,’ said Kristin. ‘We’ve now deployed 100 all-electric vans across the country and we continue to explore innovative ways to reduce our carbon footprint. The vans are also important in ensuring we’re on the front foot for proposed emission limits in many cities.

‘We are seeing climate issues rising higher on our investors’ agendas too. Influential players, such as the investment management company, BlackRock, address climate-related risks in their investments. This is supported by recommendations from Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England and the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures.

‘As a three-time global industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, we are already recognised as a sustainability leader and we are supporting the recommendations. Sustainability is now seen as a force behind many consumer purchasing decisions. So, our business customers are launching new initiatives to increase transparency in their supply chains.

‘Insurance company Zurich awarded us a gold medal in their new flagship Supplier Accreditation Scheme. Their head of UK corporate affairs, Sophie Timms, said, “We want to work with suppliers who share the same ethos. We’re delighted to see that Royal Mail is already embracing the behaviours and values which we firmly believe are best for business, customers, their employees and society.”’

We’re proud of the progress we have made. And we are just at the beginning of the journey. Now, the emphasis must be on collaborating, innovating, and turning our ambitions into actions.'