Mitigating climate change is urgent, and companies must also play their part in logistics. However, sustainability messages can be difficult to understand or appreciate. Here's one checklist to help you check whether a potential logistics partner is acting transparently.
A sustainable logistics partner...
...publishes and regularly monitors its emissions data. It is essential that the company discloses the emissions of its value chain, for example, its subcontractors. Transval, as part of Posti, publishes our greenhouse gas emissions annually. Emissions are also discussed with customers on a monthly basis. A significant part of the total emissions is generated in the value chain, especially in subcontracted transport and delivery. You can access the 2021 emissions calculation here.
...verify the emissions calculation with an external, independent party. The external expert will check that the data and sources reported by the company exist and are accurate. Transval's and Posti's emission calculations are verified every two years.
...is committed to the Science Based Targets initiative. The initiative accepts companies that commit to reducing their emissions so that the climate does not warm by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. The targets are based on climate science and progress is reported regularly. Transval and Posti's short-term targets up to 2030 have already been endorsed by the initiative.
...has set reduction targets and measures for the whole value chain. There are plenty of supply chains in the logistics sector. Companies need to include the whole value chain in their emission reduction targets. You may have heard of the emission categories, scopes 1-2, which refer to direct emissions and purchased energy, and scope 3, which refers to the value chain and purchased services. Transval and Posti are working on a subcontractor emissionsprogram , and subcontracted transport is included in the emission reduction targets.
...use 100% fossile-free electricity. All electricity used by Transval and Posti in Finland is 100% from fossil-free sources.
...has been certified by EcoVadis or another sustainability rating body. EcoVadis, the world's leading corporate responsibility assessment body, bases its assessment on international corporate responsibility criteria. The assessment is overseen by an international scientific committee. Our parent company Posti, and through it Transval, has received a platinum rating from EcoVadis, placing it in the top 1% of companies assessed worldwide.
...is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals and explains how. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim, for example, to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns by 2030. They allow companies to set their own targets in line with the internationally agreed goals. Transval is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
...demonstrates its commitment to limiting its environmental impact through ISO 14001 certification. The certification supports the company in managing its environmental impacts, demonstrating that it anticipates them and integrates environmental considerations into its business strategy. Transval is ISO 14001 certified.
... also places the safety and well-being of its own staff as a top priority. Through standard operating procedures, continuous improvement is also focused on ensuring a safe working day for every employee. Transval holds the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management certificate, which is even rarer in the logistics sector.
