As a large logistics and postal service provider, our environmental impact on climate change and local air quality is substantial. This is why we are reinforcing our sustainability commitment by steering on our ambitious, science based targets. These are aimed to significantly reduce our GHG emissions from our own operations as well as our outsourced activities towards 2030, and therefore contributing to limit global warming to well below 2oC. In order to achieve these reduction targets, we have also set ourselves a target to deliver all parcels and mail emission-free in the last mile across the Benelux by 2030. We have set an intermediate target to deliver emission-free in 25 city centres in the Netherlands by 2025.
Year ended at 31 December | 2020 | Target 2021 | 2021 | Target 2022 | Target 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CO2 efficiency (g/km) | 249 | 205 | 203 | 186 | 45 |
Although parcel volume growth continued in 2021, we are pleased to report that our increased efforts to cut carbon emissions across our operations paid off. Our CO2 efficiency in grammes per kilometre improved by 18% compared to 2020, and 10% compared to our base year 2017. And while we made progress transitioning towards an electric fleet, we significantly scaled up the use of renewable fuels, particularly across large truck transport and parcel delivery.
We are one of the first large transport companies in the Benelux to successfully implement both renewable diesel (HVO100) and bio-LNG for large trucks at scale, which also helps our suppliers build their networks. In 2021, the share of renewable fuels used for all kilometres driven by our own fleet was 34%.
In line with our strategic action plan, we continue to invest in decarbonising our operations and look for ways to accelerate this, not only to expand our current initiatives for our own fleet, but also through collaboration with our logistics partners on both electrification and renewable fuels. For example, since 1 January 2022 we are offsetting any remaining carbon emissions from our own transport and that of our delivery partners, cutting our footprint to net zero.
This is an important step on our journey to delivering emission-free in the last mile across the Benelux by 2030.
Year ended at 31 December | 20171 | 2020 | 2021 | Target 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Scope 1 GHG emissions2 | 30 | 41 | 34 | 12 |
Scope 2 GHG emissions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Subtotal scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions | 30 | 41 | 34 | 12 |
Scope 3 GHG emissions | 211 | 199 | 210 | 186 |
Total GHG emissions | 241 | 240 | 244 | 198 |
We are also pleased that, in line with our CO2 efficiency, we reduced absolute gross scope 1 carbon emissions by 17% compared to 2020. While volume growth at Parcels and our logistic networks resulted in an increase in the number of kilometres we drove, absolute emissions dropped because of the significant increase in use of renewable diesel and bio-LNG, and the roll-out of additional e-vehicles.
The electricity we do source is also sustainably generated, resulting in our scope 2 emissions being reported as zero.
For outsourced transport, our scope 3 emissions relate to networks within Parcels, logistics and international. Strong growth across these networks impacted scope 3 emissions. In total, our scope 3 emissions increased by 5.5% compared to 2020. In line with our strategic planning, we expected a slight delay in the progress of reducing carbon in our scope 3 emissions compared to our own performance. Our logistics partners often following the lead, and using the experience of large companies such as PostNL in progressing on sustainability.
We are using the experience we have with renewable fuels and electrification of our fleet to engage pro actively with our logistics partners to stimulate and so to follow our direction. In 2021 we entered in multiple discussions with delivery partners as well as large truck transportation partners on setting targets and starting their journeys towards low carbon activities. We expect this to kick-off starting 2022 in order to also start making progress on reducing our scope 3 emissions in coming years. Our total gross emissions in 2021 were slightly higher than 2020 and our base year 2017.
Year ended at 31 December | 2020 | Target 2021 | 2021 | Target 2022 | Target 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Emission-free delivery by PostNL and delivery partners | 20% | 22% | 20% | 22% | 100% |
Despite the efforts we made to accelerate the electrification of our fleet, the share of emission-free last-mile kilometres remained stable in 2021. The progress we made in absolute numbers of new electric vehicles and related kilometres was offset by volume growth at Parcels in the Benelux, which also led to an increase in non-emission-free kilometres. Our mail deliverers make the largest contribution to our emission-free delivery, with 87% of all emission-free kilometres related to mail delivery in the Netherlands.
To illustrate some of our challenges, we faced delays replacing petrol scooters at Mail in the Netherlands and delivery vans at Parcels with electric alternatives due to longer than expected delivery times. To accelerate the transformation of our fleet, we have begun investing more rapidly in charging infrastructure at our sorting centres and are factoring in extended delivery times of vehicles, which have been delayed due to Covid-19-related issues. We are also focusing on our transition planning and early procurement of electric vehicles, where possible. This will help us make progress towards our long-term target to become emission-free in our last-mile delivery of parcels and letters.
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