Which carbon emissions do we compensate?

In the participating European countries (see below), we compensate the carbon emissions generated by:

• Transportation of parcels and freight shipments by GLS companies in the EU, and
• Buildings and business travel of such companies

In which countries does GLS offset?

The companies in the following countries operating under the GLS trademark are currently participating in the carbon compensation:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Ireland
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Portugal
• Slovenia
• Spain

How do we offset the emissions in the participating GLS countries?

We cooperate with the ClimatePartner GmbH, Munich (“ClimatePartner”) to compensate our emissions through investments in climate protection projects that avoid emissions.

How does the compensation actually work?

Climate protection projects aim to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions, for example by protecting rainforests from deforestation. The climate protection projects used by GLS (through Climate Partner) are certified according to highest available international standards, such as Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) or Gold Standard (GS) and are regularly verified by independent third parties. See below: "What does the certification standard of the climate protection projects mean?"

ClimatePartner purchases the Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) generated by climate protection projects in the amount of the annually calculated GLS emissions to be compensated.

Based on these VERs, ClimatePartner in turn issues its own certificates for the participating GLS countries and our GLS customers, which certify that the respective company and customer emissions calculated by us have been offset.

In which climate protection projects does GLS invest to compensate its emissions?

What does the certification standard of the climate protection projects mean?

The supported projects meet the Gold Standard (GS) or Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) in conjunction with the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS). See table from previous sections.

The GS (developed by WWF and other environmental organizations) and VCS (developed by the non-governmental organization VERRA) are standards for voluntary emissions trading. Climate protection projects can be verified and certified by the VCS and GS based on their respective criteria and requirements (e.g. the criterion of additionality).

The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) is a widely recognized global standard for certifying greenhouse gas emissions reduction and removal projects. It provides a framework to ensure the accuracy, transparency, and credibility of carbon offset projects, which generate carbon credits or carbon reductions (VERs) that can be traded in carbon markets. The VCS can be combined with the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS), which is an additional standard and focuses on social and further environmental aspects.

The Gold Standard (GS) is another internationally recognized standard for certifying carbon offset projects. What sets it apart is its strong focus on sustainability and co-benefits, such as social and environmental impacts in addition to emissions reductions. Projects certified under the Gold Standard adhere to rigorous criteria, making them not only carbon-neutral but also contributing positively to sustainable development and environmental protection.