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GLS Netherlands delivers all parcels CO2-neutral

04-FEB-2021 | AMSTERDAM
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  • Commitment to zero-emissions delivery in twenty city centres
  • Full compensation through acknowledged projects
  • Building of sustainable depots

Utrecht, 4 February 2021 – Since this year, GLS Netherlands has introduced climate-neutral shipping – for all parcels sent within the Netherlands and abroad. Beyond its measures to avoid and reduce CO2 emissions, the company focuses on full compensation through VCS or Gold Standard projects.

"Climate protection is the central issue that will affect economy, logistics and society in the coming decades", says Milo Kars, Managing Director GLS Netherlands. "This makes it all the more important for us to continue to drive forward the ecological transformation of our company. In keeping with our commitment to offer a fully climate-neutral service, we offset 100 per cent of our remaining environmental footprint."

This is achieved in cooperation with the Climate Neutral Group via projects that meet the Verified Certification Standard (VCS) or the Gold Standard, the world's strictest certification standard . These specifically selected projects demonstrably ensure environmental and social sustainability. GLS Netherlands, for example, invests in the local production of efficient wood stoves in Uganda, in the protection and preservation of the biodiversity of the Jacundá forest in Brazil and in a biogas project to reduce methane in the Netherlands. In addition, GLS supports sustainable forest projects in the Netherlands through the organisation Trees for All .

Reducing emissions systematically

As part of the ThinkGreen sustainability initiative launched throughout the Group in 2008, GLS Netherlands avoids and reduces its impact on the environment. This year, the focus is particularly on switching to fully sustainable and emission-free parcel delivery in the twenty largest Dutch city centres. Tthe logistics provider is investing in electric vehicles and a charging infrastructure at the depots. In four cities, eVans are already on the road.

Last mile solutions such as GLS' FlexDeliveryService and ShopDeliveryService help to ensure that parcels are delivered successfully at the first attempt and that no additional kilometers have to be driven. GLS Netherlands also uses environmentally friendly long trucks on long routes, uses new planning and simulation tools to optimise routes and is making its depots increasingly sustainable and efficient, for example with solar panels and recyclable building materials.

The ISO 14001 certified environmental management system is a cornerstone for the company to improve systematically and continuously. In addition, GLS Netherlands participates in Connekt's Lean & Green programme to optimise logistics processes and become more sustainable at the same time. The goal is to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 20 percent from 2020 to 2025.

Customers' contribution required

"Especially in view of the increasing demand for parcel services, our industry is playing an increasingly important role in tackling climate change", says Milo Kars. "However, climate-neutral parcel delivery also implies higher investments and costs – for new technologies, processes and concepts. This can only be achieved in close cooperation with our customers; sustainability also requires partnership."

After GLS Germany, GLS Netherlands is the second national company within the international GLS Group to transport all its parcels in a climate-neutral way.