Sustainability isn't just a buzzword here
at UPS. It's what we do.
Sustainability is our approach to operating our business in a responsible manner. It includes providing good jobs, being a model steward of the environment, contributing our resources to strengthen the communities where we work and live, and ensuring the long-term efficiency and economic success of UPS for the benefit of all our stakeholders.
UPS operates more than 100,000 vehicles, over 2,800 facilities and is among the world's top 10 airlines. Our imprint is large, as is our responsibility to minimize it any way we can.
The challenges and opportunities ahead of us are significant. We embrace our leadership role in developing sustainable transport options. Many changes are possible in how our fleets and facilities will look in the years to come. Through fleet advances and innovative facility engineering, UPS strives to reduce its impact on the environment and reduce natural resource consumption in our operations worldwide.
From retrofitting our aircraft with advanced technology and fuel-efficient engines that reduce noise...to developing a powerful computer network that efficiently dispatches our vehicles...to using alternative fuels to run them...these are just some of the ways we are ensuring the long term viability of our company for our customers, employees, shareholders and communities.
UPS collaborates with manufacturers, government and non-profit organizations to promote sustainable product transportation. UPS is a charter member of the EPA Smartway Transport Program, a voluntary partnership to reduce freight and fleet sector energy consumption, pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. In 2008, UPS became the first shipping company to join the EPA's Climate Leaders program.
Moving nearly 16 million packages around the world each day requires operating a large ground and air fleet. Reducing fuel consumption and emissions is a constant priority and challenge. UPS’s long-term goal is to minimize dependence on fossil fuels by improving operational efficiencies and advancing new technologies. The company’s emissions reduction strategy includes reducing fuel consumption and deploying alternative fuel and low emissions vehicles.
UPS operates one of the largest private alternative fuel fleet in its industry, which includes more than 2,700 compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane, hydraulic hybrid, electric, biomethane, ethanol, composite vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. Since 2000 alone, UPS's alternative fuel fleet traveled more than 296 million miles making deliveries to homes and businesses. The company’s global alternative fuel fleet includes vehicles in the U.S., Germany, Canada, Netherlands, Chile, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Brazil and the United Kingdom.
UPS developed and continues to enhance its fleet using a "rolling laboratory" philosophy – using its alternative fuel fleet as a way to learn about how new technologies and advancements can be adapted for use in a large delivery fleet. The company has invested over US$15 million to deploy significant numbers of alternative fuel vehicles in its fleet. While maintaining its current alternative fuel vehicles, UPS is also working with manufacturers, government agencies and non-profit organizations to advance new fuel technologies.
The UPS Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technology fleet is logging miles by the millions every year – and the pace has been accelerating. Taking the year 2000 as a baseline, it took UPS more than five years to reach the 100 million mark. It took less time than that to travel another 100 million and we anticipate that it will take even less time to travel the next 200 million miles. Our goal is to set the 400 million mile marker in 2017.
To learn more about the vehicles in UPS's alternative fuel fleet, visit the UPS pressroom.
