bpost opens Belgium’s most eco-friendly distribution centre in Mons

Minister of state Elio Di Rupo and bpost CEO Koen Van Gerven today officially inaugurated the first green bpost distribution centre in Mons. The optimally insulated building is equipped with solar panels and distribution of letters and parcels in Mons will be done by electric vehicles. These innovations enable bpost to achieve significantly better energy performances at the Mons distribution centre, with electricity consumption cut by 18% and gas consumption by 55% compared with average consumption at the other distribution centres. With this type of initiative, bpost intends to retain its title of "the world's greenest postal operator". By 2030 bpost has set itself the goal of reducing the CO2 emissions from its activities by at least 20%.

Since 2007 bpost has cut its CO2 emissions by almost 40%. And the company's efforts to reduce its environmental footprint have not gone unnoticed. The International Postal Corporation (IPC) recently named bpost "the world's greenest postal operator for the sixth successive year.

That being said, bpost remains fully aware of the impact of increasing parcel deliveries. In order to continue to work in the same environmentally friendly way, and keep its position as one of the most sustainable logistics companies, bpost has set new CO2 reduction targets for 2030.

20% cut in CO2 emissions by switching to an electric fleet

As one of Belgium's leading companies, bpost wishes to play a pioneer role in environmental protection and has set itself the goal of reducing CO₂ emissions from its activities by at least 20% by 2030.. This ambition is in line with the climate targets adopted under the 2015 Paris agreement. This has also been approved by the "Science Based Target" initiative, which helps companies to establish consistent targets based on the path set by the Paris agreement.

To succeed, bpost will replace 50% of its diesel fleet with an electric alternative by 2030. Twenty new electric vans have already been taken into service at the "green" distribution centre in Mons for the delivery of parcels and letters. Some 600 new electric vans will be deployed across Belgium by 2022, which will increase to more than 3,400 by 2030.

Presentation of the new full-electric "Colibus" vehicle for ergonomic parcel delivery

bpost runs Belgium's biggest electric fleet and broadens it with the Colibus, a first for the Belgian parcel market. Colibus is a full-electric vehicle, specially designed for the parcel market to replace average-sized diesel vans in urban areas. This vehicle is able to carry more than 100 parcels.

The new Colibus is not only clearly more environmentally friendly than the existing vans. It is also safer and more ergonomic in use, as the driver can either exit through the door on the left (as in a traditional vehicle) or through a door towards the cargo space and then through a door on the right, closer to the ground. This is an improvement in ergonomic terms, as drivers no longer need to turn while exiting, which reduces the physical stresses on their body.

bpost is the first postal operator in Europe to take the Colibus into service, following a ten-month pilot. In addition to  the new Colibus and electric vans, bpost also runs 2,652 electric bikes and 324 electric trikes.

Koen Van Gerven, CEO says: "Every day, millions of clients and citizens trust bpost for the delivery of their mail and parcels. We want to keep meeting their needs, but we also want to listen to their environmental concerns. Therefore, we make every effort to ensure that our services generate as little impact as possible on our planet. The opening of our greenest distribution center today in Mons is the perfect example of our ambition for the years to come: remain more than ever a green and sustainable postal operator."