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Climate Protect
Our initiatives to gradually reduce carbon emissions
Our Approach to Environmental Protection
At GLS, we care about our effect on the world around us. Every parcel and its related logistics and transport processes have an impact on natural resources and cause carbon emissions. We want to continue our mission of connecting people around the world while reducing our impact on the environment. Therefore, climate and environmental protection are central components of our sustainability activities.
We launched our group-wide environmental strategy, Climate Protect, with the aim of maximising our impact on environmental protection and ensuring that knowledge and efforts are shared and executed across our entire international network.
At the end of 2023, GLS Group committed to setting near-term and long-term science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its operations in line with the Science Based Targets initiative. Read more about our commitment here .
Climate Protect measures
We pool our resources and expertise to implement measures to continuously reduce our carbon emissions. This includes both emissions from our transport operations as well as emissions from our site operations, such as purchased electricity or heat for our buildings.
Please refer to the separate webpage of your GLS country for further details on the steps taken in this direction.
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Electrifying our fleet
We are electrifying our fleet. Different electric vehicles are used within the Group, such as electric vans, bikes and trucks. In addition, we also test alternative fuels and hydrogen. -
Implementing alternative parcel delivery solutions
We install parcel lockers and open parcel shops, deliver parcels with walkers and test alternative delivery options. -
Usage of renewable energy
We are increasingly purchasing renewable electricity and installing solar panels on our buildings. Thus, 80% of GLS-operated sites in Europe already use renewable electricity. -
Future-proofing our buildings
We are converting fossil heating systems to electric heat pumps to reduce carbon emissions of our buildings and we are installing charging infrastructure at our sites.
Local investments supporting environmental protection
First hydrogen truck used in linehaul operations in Germany
In 2023, GLS Germany 1 put its first hydrogen truck into regular operation, an innovation in long-distance transport that demonstrates GLS’ sustainability ambitions. The Hyundai Xcient Fuel Cell is used in linehaul operations and for customer pick-up and delivery in the Cologne-Bonn area.
Progressive electrification of heavy goods transportation
Lately we have seen some important examples of first steps in the electrification process of heavy goods transportation throughout the GLS network. Since June 2024, GLS Germany 2 operates its first electric truck in long-distance transport between Schweinfurt and Neuenstein. In February 2024, GLS Canada 3 received its first class 8 electric truck from Freightliner and already uses two Lion 6 trucks in their operations. GLS Italy 4 uses two electric trucks in their linehaul operations and for parcel pick-up and delivery since November 2023. Further pilots and tests for linehaul electrification have been performed in Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
BREEAM certified hub in Madrid, Spain
In 2023, GLS Spain 5 opened a new hub in Madrid which has been awarded a “Very Good” rating for sustainable construction by BREEAM. The hub includes over 25 charging points, a 1,195 kWp photovoltaic system, energy-efficient lighting and motion detectors. Annual internal environmental audits are conducted to detect excessive consumption or system malfunctions.
See the BREEAM certificate here .
Transport partner electrifies entire fleet in just 6 months
GLS Denmark's 6 transport partner, Nem Fragt ApS, converted its entire transport fleet to electric vans within 6 months. The transport partner has been associated with the GLS distribution center in Kolding since 2018.
Read the social media post here .
Our initiatives to compensate carbon emissions
Compensation projects supported by GLS
On top of our initiatives to gradually reduce carbon emissions, some GLS companies are concomitantly also compensating for carbon emissions at national level. We work with ClimatePartner (Munich, Germany) on multiple certified climate protection projects to voluntarily offset carbon emissions. For further information on the compensation program, please click here .