Environment Bulletin: CUPW’s Position Against Canada Post’s Science Based Targets

Canada Post announced today its Science Based Targets (SBT), which were set according to criteria from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to help measure progress and create a path for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Based on CUPW’s recommendation, Canada Post decided to set science based GHG emission reduction targets in 2019. In working with SBTi, Canada Post’s targets were approved in May 2021.

While we applaud Canada Post’s commitment to setting science based targets, CUPW does not endorse this announcement. We do not endorse Canada Post’s SBT for four main reasons :

• Canada Post chose to set a “Well-Below 2C” target, which is the least ambitious global warming target available for the SBTi. In recent updates from the SBTi, this target is no longer a target option as it is considered not ambitious enough;
  
  
• RSMC vehicles are included in Scope 3 emissions when they should be included in Scope 1 emissions. Scope 3 emissions are all other indirect emissions that account for 88% of CPC’s GHG emissions and Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by CPC that account for only 9% of GHG emissions;
  
  
• While we recognize that Canada Post has continued to grow its fleet of hybrid vehicles in 2020, Canada Post’s fleet targets remain too low, consisting of only 220 electric vehicles and 4,168 hybrid vehicles out of a total fleet of approximately 14,000 vehicles by 2030 (which does not account for RSMC vehicles).
  
  
• Canada Post’s engagement target with top suppliers and subsidiaries is not sufficiently robust to make an adequate improvement in Canada Post’s Scope 3 GHG emission levels. As it is currently set, the target only requires 67% of vendors by spend and 100% of subsidiaries to adopt a SBT by 2025. This is clearly below what is needed.

Given our current climate emergency, and in light of increasing big weather events and forest fires that are having a real and negative impact across the country, Canada Post’s science based targets are not doing enough.

Despite CUPW not endorsing Canada Post’s SBTs, the environment committee is committed to working with Canada Post to move forward on climate and GHG emission reduction initiatives that are important to our members.