{"id":2298,"date":"2011-06-02T21:24:30","date_gmt":"2011-06-03T02:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=2298"},"modified":"2011-06-02T21:24:30","modified_gmt":"2011-06-03T02:24:30","slug":"postal-service%e2%80%99s-carbon-footprint-shrinks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2011\/06\/02\/postal-service%e2%80%99s-carbon-footprint-shrinks\/","title":{"rendered":"Postal Service\u2019s Carbon Footprint Shrinks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"USPS<\/a><\/p>\n

Postal Service\u2019s Carbon Footprint Shrinks
\n<\/strong>Efforts to Decrease Greenhouse Gas Emissions Succeeding<\/em><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 As suggested by its Reduce our Environmental Footprint Go Green Forever stamp, the U.S. Postal Service became a lot greener last year. Known globally for sustainability innovations and leadership, the agency reported an 8 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a fiscal year (FY) 2008 baseline. The reduction of 1,067,834 metric tons of CO2 is an amount equal to the annual emissions of approximately 204,000 passenger vehicles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese results demonstrate the Postal Service\u2019s commitment to reduce our GHG emissions 20 percent by fiscal year 2020,\u201d said Emil Dzuray, acting USPS chief sustainability officer. \u201cOur leaner, faster, smarter energy reduction and conservation efforts have placed us more than one third of the way to our goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reduced facility energy use represented almost half of the Postal Service\u2019s GHG emissions decrease.<\/p>\n

\u201cPostal Service employees are laser-focused on reducing energy use at Post Offices and mail processing centers,\u201d said Tom Samra, vice president, Facilities. \u201cWe are proud to have reduced our facility energy-related emissions 12 percent from FY 2008 to FY 2010 \u2014 enough to power approximately 39,000 average American households for a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

From FY 2003 to FY 2010, USPS reduced its facility energy use by 29.4 percent, or 9.9 trillion BTUs, an amount equal to the energy used by approximately 100,000 average American households in a year.<\/p>\n

The Postal Service voluntarily reported its FY 2010 GHG emissions reduction progress according to Federal Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Reporting Guidance. USPS reported a reduction of 9.5 percent in facility energy and fuel use, and 7 percent in contracted transport, wastewater and solid waste. While this is the Postal Service\u2019s first fiscal year federal GHG emissions report, it is the agency\u2019s fourth year of publicly reporting its GHG emissions.<\/p>\n

Other factors supporting USPS\u2019 positive GHG results are:<\/strong><\/p>\n