Environmental protection
At GLS, we care about our effect on the world around us. Every parcel and its related logistics and transport processes have an impact on natural resources and cause carbon emissions. We want to continue our mission in connecting people around the world whilst protecting the environment for future generations. Therefore, climate and environmental protection are central components of our sustainability activities.
We launched our group-wide environmental strategy Climate Protect, aiming to maximise our impact on environmental protection and ensure that knowledge and efforts are shared and executed across our entire international network.
In addition, a compensation program is available in participating GLS companies such as GLS France. Carbon emissions caused by the transportation of parcels and freight shipments, as well as the carbon emissions from buildings and business travel of such companies are voluntary offset. Read more about the compensation program here .
At the end of 2023, GLS Group committed to setting near-term and long-term science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its operations in line with the Science Based Targets initiative.
Read more about our commitment here .
Climate Protect measures
We have taken steps to reduce our impact on the environment, as have our delivery partners. GLS France has implemented the following measures:
Electrifying our fleet
Our partners use a range of electric vehicles, such as e-vans and cargo bikes.
Equipping our sites with electric terminals
Plus de 75% de notre réseau d’agences est équipé de bornes de recharges électriques pour les véhicules de livraison.
Implementing alternative parcel delivery solutions
Over 75% of our branch network is equipped with electric charging points for delivery vehicles.
Using green electricity
92% of our sites are equipped with electricity from 100% renewable sources.
Compensation projects supported by GLS
We are working with ClimatePartner to offset our carbon emissions.
The climate protection projects supported by ClimatePartner are protecting the rainforest in Brazil and Peru and promoting the expansion of renewable energy in India.
These projects are making an important contribution in a number of areas by preserving biodiversity, developing local infrastructure and creating jobs.
To find out more about the 7 projects we support: see below.
Forest Protection in Madre de Dios, Peru
Madre de Dios is an area of the Peruvian Amazon with some of the highest biodiversity in the world. It is also under threat from the Transamazônica road project and deforestation for agriculture. We support a project that protects an area of 100,000 hectares while working with the local population to help manage the land sustainably. The project is VCS CCBS Gold Level certified .
Wind energy in Naranpar, India
120 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 252 MW generate 556,508 MWh per year for the Indian energy grid. This amount of electricity would otherwise have been produced using fossil fuels. This increases the power supply, helping to close the region's energy gap. Further, the wind power project promotes sustainable development through new long-term employment opportunities, combined with various training sessions for all employees.
Solar energy in Jodhpur, India
Jodhpur, in the Indian state of Rajasthan, is a growing city of over 1.5 million people. Due to its desert location, it’s well-placed to provide its industries electricity through solar power. To construct and operate a solar park, however, it needed additional support from companies like GLS. The project built a solar plant that covers 140 hectares of land and supplies 416,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy to the grid annually. That saves 408,420 tonnes of CO2 every year.
Forest Protection in Pacajá, Brazil
The project in the Brazilian Amazon covers an area of 148,000 hectares. To avoid the deforestation of native forests, the project promotes and supports the native population in using sustainable agroforestry techniques and provides them with land use rights for their contribution to nature conservation. In addition, villagers are trained as monitoring personnel working in patrol teams to ensure the project area is monitored. The project is VCS CCBS certified .
Wind energy in Gadhsisa, India
This project generates energy with 143 wind turbines, which corresponds to a total capacity of 300 MW. It, contributes to climate protection, as fossil fuel power plants would have otherwise generated the amount of energy. In addition, the region's sustainable development is supported through the creation of jobs in conjunction with training and the promotion of education, such as the opportunity for students to attend local schools. The project is GS VER certified .
Wind energy in Bhatel, India
The Indian state of Gujarat is heavily agricultural, and its power grid is dominated by fossil fuels. We support a wind energy project that not only reduces the state’s dependence on fossil fuels but also hits several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for improving the lives of locals. Stable power and long-term employment in an area dominated by short-term contracts make a local improvement, whilst the project saves around 145,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
Solar energy in Bhadla, India
By generating 832,550 MWh of electricity each year from solar energy, the GS VER-certified project contributes to increasing the share of renewable energy in India’s electricity mix and improves the national energy supply. It further supports infrastructure development in the region, as roads are expanded and improved. This project creates permanent jobs with an above-average income in the region.
