Not only is UPS one of the largest and most influential companies in the world (and one of our favorite clients), they are also very focused on helping save the environment in a variety of ways. I had a chance recently to ask Lynnette McIntire, the manager over their Corporate Reputation Management group, about their green efforts. She pointed me to the UPS Community website and the UPS Sustainability website, and was also kind enough to answer some of my questions.

Please explain the UPS green efforts from a high level.

We tackle environmental issues on a variety of fronts: our investments in alternative fuels for example. But probably the biggest area is the way we run our business - for example, drivers are taught not to leave the engine running at their stops; we aim to eliminate left turns because you are often stuck idle at intersections; our dispatch technology minimizes miles driven by optimizing the routes. At our airline, we have a fuel conservation manager who continually monitors fuel use and finds ways to reduce fuel and emissions. Last year, we reduced emissions by 6 percent through operational improvement.

We are very aware of the packaging we use and the recycling of electronics which are a big part of our business.

How/when did the initiative(s) begin?

Since fuel has always been a big part of our costs, we have always been conscious about fuel conservation. In fact, our first all-electric cars were in the 1930s!

UPS obviously has the ability to affect the world at large due to its overall size. How is the company measuring this impact, both internally and externally?

UPS’s modus operandi is to measure everything. And many of those measurements are reported in our annual sustainability report. That includes carbon footprint…we were one of the pioneers in this area when we started our report five years ago.

Our environmental key performance indicators (KPIS) include measurements of water consumption, energy footprint, ground network fuel efficiency, global aircraft emissions, noise standards requirements, and CO2 footprint.

What type of incentives or encouragement does UPS give to employees to contribute to the cause? And what efforts are they able to contribute towards (recycling, telecommuting, etc.)?

In our offices, we have motion-detecting lighting to shut of lights when rooms are unoccupied. Our computers are shut off automatically. There are incentives for carpooling. We also have very active volunteers in the community who work on parks restoration, tree plantings, and nature conservancy. Drivers right now are receiving communications to remind them of the importance of minimizing air conditioning and engine idling. We are now encouraging our customers to switch from paper bills to electronic bills as a way to reduce paper waste.

It’s the everyday things that can really add up.

Are there any opportunities UPS has found to partner with other companies or vendors?

Our alternative fuel fleet research is done with both the EPA and manufacturers. We have a “rolling laboratory” in that the alternative fleet is on the road and being tested in a demanding driving environment. This means that the manufacturers can tweak the vehicles to be more commercially-viable, which helps them and the transportation industry going forward. All that knowledge and experience gets introduced in the next generations of vehicles.