Delivery by electric bike in Prague
GLS participates in the pilot project of the Capital City of Prague and since November 2020 it has been delivering part of the parcels in the historic center of Prague without emission.
Environmental protection
Protecting our environment is a guiding principle at GLS – and one that is brought to life by employees across Europe. In 2008, GLS launched its environmental initiative in order to coordinate and proactively foster the diverse array of activities within the GLS Group. The objective: responsible handling of resources, the reduction of emissions and the optimisation of waste disposal.
Climate Protect program
GLS Group has been actively seeking and implementing ways to reduce our environmental impact, as have our local transport partners. The aims are to use resources as efficiently as possible and to optimise processes.
We think and act in an environmentally friendly manner in all areas of the company: from transport planning and buildings through to individual workplaces. Environmental Officers are employed at all GLS national subsidiaries in Europe; it’s their job to ensure the implementation of Group-wide environmental protection measures.
Climate Protect measures
Buildings
GLS builds in an eco-friendly way, with environmental aspects explicitly factored into new builds, replacement buildings and extension projects. The use of rainwater, photovoltaic technology, recyclable building materials and heat pumps plays a vital role.
Vehicles
GLS is increasing fuel efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. All vehicles in the fleet – i.e. those used by our transport partners and the in-house fleet of company cars – are gradually being replaced with more eco-friendly models.
Electric vehicles
GLS is increasingly turning to alternative delivery methods, with natural gas vehicles, battery-powered vehicles, scooters, cargo trikes and even in-line skates all used to deliver parcels. These vehicles reduce our emissions and complement our existing fleet.
Transport planning
GLS uses state-of-the-art, IT-assisted planning instruments to improve operating processes and transport routes. Journey lengths are systematically minimised through optimised route planning.
Responsible use of sources
Resource management is carried out taking into account the lifetime of the materials and their possible reuse.
Emission reduction
Reducing the emissions produced is the basic principle environmental protection.
Optimization of waste management
The principles of sorting and saving waste permeate the entire company
EcoVadis Certification
GLS Group’s sustainability efforts have been rewarded with the EcoVadis Silver Certificate. EcoVadis looks at a range of metrics under the categories: Environment, Sustainable Procurement, Ethics, Labour & Human Rights, rating companies against the highest possible standard. GLS Group’s environmental impact score of 80/100 puts the company among the 7% top-rated companies in the sector within the Environmental category. Overall, GLS is in the top 8% of companies in the postal, courier and freight transport industry assessed by EcoVadis.
GLS put into operation the first large-capacity electricity delivery van
GLS has started to use the very first large electric delivery for the daily delivery of bales at the depot in Hulín, which will carry almost the same amount of bales as a normal delivery with an internal combustion engine, while it will travel up to 120 km on a single charge. In the next 12 months, the expansion of the fleet is planned.
Planting trees with "Sázíme stromy"
In 2019, GLS started to cooperate with nonprofit organization "Sázíme stromy" on planting trees all over Czech Republic. Since then, hundreds of trees were planted to reduce the emission produced by parcel deliveries.
Tree planting with "Sdružení Krajina"
Between 2013 and 2018, GLS has planted 469 trees with non profit organization "Sdružení Krajina" in order to reduce the CO2 emission produced by parcel deliveries.