OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 6, 2021 /CNW/ - Today, Canada Post announced new emissions-reduction targets, set through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). According to the Corporation's Net Zero 2050 Roadmap, "[Canada Post Corporation's] wider responsibility includes the need to address the serious risks that climate change poses to Canada's environment, people and businesses, including ours."
But Canada Post's targets are not sufficiently ambitious, in CUPW's view: "To have such half-measures announced, after such a long consultative process, leaves us feeling unheard and underwhelmed. Canada Post, like every other Crown Corporation, needs to show leadership in the effort to mitigate climate change. This plan takes too long to do too little." says Dave Bleakney, CUPW 2nd National Vice-President.
While scientists tell us we need bold action to keep global temperature rises to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid the worst of climate catastrophes, Canada Post's plan only puts it on a path to "well-below 2°C." And while analysts have called last-mile freight delivery "the lowest-hanging fruit for rapid reduction of carbon emissions," Canada Post's plan only calls for 220 electric vehicles in a fleet of over 14,000.
CUPW was encouraged in 2019 when Canada Post established a collaborative effort with its workers' bargaining agents to reduce the Corporation's environmental footprint. For years, postal workers have championed environmental initiatives to address Canada Post's negative impacts on the climate and the environment. The union and allies developed a plan – Delivering Community Power – that illustrates the leading role that Canada Post must play in creating a sustainable tomorrow, by electrifying the Corporation's fleet of delivery vehicles, retrofitting post offices with solar panels, and much more.
"There is still time to revise our targets and really make the level of effort that is required," says Bleakney. "The workers want it, and the federal government recognizes the need. We just need Canada Post Corporation to engage wholeheartedly."
Committed to the fight against the climate emergency, CUPW will continue to do everything it can to push Canada Post to do better.
SOURCE Canadian Union of Postal Workers
For more information, please contact Farouk Karim, CUPW Communications, at 613-302-4537 or at [email protected].
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