Parcel shipping with GLS means sustainable shipping.
Use our GLS Climate Protect strategy to avoid & reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest with us in certified climate protection projects in cooperation with ClimatePartner .
Sustainable parcel shipping with GLS exhibits a balanced carbon footprint in Germany and abroad and is climate neutral through compensation of all upstream and downstream greenhouse gas emissions not yet avoided via climate protection projects.
Our investments in sustainability
Depots and infrastructure
We explicitly consider ecological and social aspects in all new buildings, replacements and extensions. For environmentally friendly equipment, we invest on a broad scale in modern, environmentally friendly techniques. The use of rainwater, photovoltaics, recyclable building materials, heat pumps as well as efficient lighting technology and thermally insulated buildings play an important role. In all GLS Germany locations we use 100% green electricity from renewable energy sources.
Transitioning the vehicle fleet towards eMobility
We aim to gradually switch the entire fleet to zero-emission and low-emission vehicles – our transport partners’ fleet as well as our own company car fleet.
Moreover, we establish the necessary charging infrastructure in our depots for the continuous electric vehicles transition.
Local micro depots
In order to optimize transport processes in city logistics and to promote emission-free delivery in city centers, we are setting up micro depots. From here, emission-free e-vehicles go on delivery tours. This saves transport routes, reduces noise and thus protects people and the environment.
Minimizing transport routes
To improve operating processes and transport routes, we count on state-of-the-art, IT-assisted planning instruments. This is how we manage to systematically minimize our transport routes and thus to avoid greenhouse gas emissions.
Sustainable city logistics
Through innovative and smart solutions and the use of e-vehicles, we are actively relieving the stress on urban infrastructures and at the same time are reducing emissions throughout the last mile. In this regard we play a special pioneering role and are permanently increasing the number of our e-vehicles.
These projects ensure climate compensation
Our current climate protection projects in cooperation with ClimatePartner
Project Wind Energy
Gadhsisa, India
promotes clean wind energy and community development trough the creation of jobs combined with trainings. The clean wind energy is generated through 143 wind turbines, resulting in a total capacity of 300 MW.
Certified according to GS VER
Project Forest Protection
Madre de Dios, Peru
protects an endangered Amazon region. The project protects a 100,000-hectare area and helps local communities to manage it sustainably.
Certified according to VCS / CCBS Gold Level
Project Forest Protection
Pacajá, Brazil
prevents deforestation of the rainforest. Covering 148,000 hectares in the Brazilian Amazon the project helps to prevent illegal logging in the rainforest.
Certified according to VCS / CCBS
Project Solar Energy
Bhadla, India
improves the green energy supply for local communities and supports the development of needed infrastructure in the region. The project generates 832,550 MWh clean electricity each year from solar energy.
Certified according to GS VER
What does climate compensation mean?
Climate neutral in the context of a balanced carbon footprint are companies, processes and products whose upstream and downstream greenhouse gas emissions have been calculated according to recognized standards and norms and have been completely avoided through reduction measures or compensated for through additional climate protection projects elsewhere. Climate compensation is an important component of holistic climate protection next to the avoidance and reduction of negative environmental impacts.
In which climate protection projects does GLS invest?
The upstream and downstream greenhouse gas emissions generated by the parcel transport and business operations of GLS Germany are compensated through certified climate protection projects in cooperation with our compensation partner ClimatePartner. In doing so, we compensate all greenhouse gas emissions "well-to-wheel" - from generation to consumption - for transport and service vehicles, flights, heating and water, paper and waste, at all of our locations.
We currently support forest conservation projects ( www.climatepartner.com/1057 and www.climatepartner.com/1280 ) and projects to promote the expansion of renewable solar and wind energy ( www.climatepartner.com/1298 and www.climatepartner.com/1313 ) in accordance with industry standards (VCS/CCB/GS VER standard).
Why does GLS support projects abroad?
Climate protection projects require four criteria: Additionality, no double counting, permanent savings and regular independent verification.
The criteria of additionality is not met for many projects in the EU because various funding programmes already cover the economic aspects of e.g. the expansion of renewable energies.
Double counting can only be avoided if it is ensured that the savings of greenhouse gas emissions achieved by a project are not already counted elsewhere. Savings achieved in the EU are usually directly accounted towards a country's national greenhouse gas balance and thus only contribute to achieving the climate targets of the respective country and the EU.
Sustainability is the foundation of GLS. And sustainability includes, above all, climate protection. We are very proud of what we have achieved so far and we will further strengthen our ambitions.
Dr. Karl Pfaff, GLS Group Area Managing Director GLS Germany