UPS to Match Carbon Offsets of All Packages Shipped During Month of June

UPS has announced the company will commemorate World Environment Day on June 5 by matching the carbon offsets of all packages shipped via its carbon neutral program during the month of June. UPS carbon neutral counterbalances the estimated carbon impact of each shipment by purchasing certified carbon offsets.

To participate, shippers pay a small fee to offset the carbon footprint of shipping their packages. UPS will match these offsets throughout June. This is essentially doubling the shipper’s impact thereby allowing the shipper to potentially net out “carbon negative” in June. The per package flat rate price for the optional service is $0.05 for UPS ground services and $0.20 for UPS Next Day Air, UPS 2nd Day Air and UPS 3 Day Select services.

UPS started its carbon neutral program in 2010 and offsets more than 60 million packages annually for customers. UPS carbon neutral option is verified by Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), an inspection, testing, and verification company. Additionally, UPS’s carbon offset process adheres to The CarbonNeutral Protocol from Natural Capital Partners.

Other sustainable initiatives of the shipping giant include the largest commitment for use of renewable natural gas (RNG) to date by any company in the US. In 2019, UPS signed an agreement with Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to purchase 170 million gallon equivalents of its “Redeem” RNG through 2026 to operate UPS delivery trucks. The purchase is part of UPS’s strategy to increase alternative fuel consumption to be about 40% of total ground fuel purchased by 2025, and to reduce its absolute GHG emissions of its ground fleet by 12%.