The bold moves USPS is taking in the environmental arena dovetail with the big changes the organization is making operationally, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told employees last week.
The Postal Service recently established broad goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, divert waste from landfills, increase procurement of renewable energy and boost recycling by 2030.
These efforts fit with the broader Delivering for America plan to achieve financial stability while delivering excellent service, DeJoy said at the USPS Sustainability Symposium.
Held Feb. 28 in Washington, DC, the daylong special event for USPS employees featured a series of presentations and panel discussions explaining the organization’s sustainability goals.
DeJoy said USPS does not have the luxury of doing things the old way — operationally or environmentally — and needs to try new things. Mistakes will be made, but innovation is paramount, he said.
“I don’t want to privatize the organization. I want to act like a private organization as we fulfill its mission,” DeJoy said, stressing the importance of the Postal Service’s mandate to serve the American people.
The postmaster general praised the assistance USPS has received from the White House as he introduced Andrew Mayock, chief sustainability officer for the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Mayock commended the Postal Service for “leading by example” in the federal sector and echoed DeJoy’s sense of urgency.
“It’s about action. Action now,” Mayock said. “Climate change is a clear and present danger.”
Other topics at the symposium included:
• The new USPS Environmental Council, chaired by the postmaster general, which establishes the organization’s long-term sustainability strategies;
• Transforming mail and package delivery by moving freight from air to ground transportation and procuring reduced-emission and zero-emission vehicles;
• Creating a modern, sustainable network; and
• The importance of communications to build support among USPS employees and customers.
The Environmental Affairs and Corporate Sustainability Blue page has more information on the organization’s sustainability efforts.