Compare and contrast two companies and their green initiatives.
Compare and contrast two companies and their green initiatives. Go to the internet and identify two
companies with relatively the same product or service (i.e., transportation company). Provide your
thoughts and insights into how successful each company is in addressing the 3 E’s.
Introduction
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The paper intends to compare and contrast DHL and UPS transportation firms.
Specifically, the paper focuses on green initiatives adopted by each company. In the end, the
paper will highlight personal thoughts and insights with regards to how UPS and DHL have been
successful in addressing economic development, ecological protection, and social equity (3 E’s).
Comparison of UPS and DHL green initiatives
UPS and DHL are not only global transportation companies but have also adopted green
initiatives. While UPS has focused on seeking alternative fuels, the goal is to change commercial
transport as well as logistics to spur growth in clean energy (UPS, 2015). Similarly, DHL has
optimized its transport routes, alternative vehicles and energy –efficient so as to reduce carbon
dioxide emission and other environmental effects in the transportation of goods (DHL, 2017). In
its green initiative, DHL also focused on offering paperless billing to clients in Europe.
Eliminating paper invoice was meant to save 2,400 trees and 600t of carbon emission yearly
(Levitt, 2008). Ultimately, this initiative allowed DHL to reduce costs and increase customer
fulfillment. Unlike DHL, UPS puts more emphasis on energy efficiency for its fleets. Primarily,
UPS uses low carbon vehicles and Hybrid Hybrid vehicles (HHV). Furthermore, the HHV
engine is efficient and reduces carbon emissions by 30%.
Thoughts and insights on UPS and DHL 3E’s
Even though the green initiative by UPS is to reduce carbon emission, its economic
development should focus on economically practical strategies. While current cities are more
congested than previously, there is a significant increase of congestion, pollution and demand for
goods that require sustainable transport models. As such, the UPS move to introduce HHV and
energy efficient might cut down carbon emissions while facilitating sustainable transport, which
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is an essential driver of economic development. Similarly, DHL recognizes the effects of
business activities on the ecosystem; hence it uses green technologies and precautionary
measures. Besides, measuring carbon efficiency targets could allow DHL to monitor the effect of
its operations on the environment. Systematically detecting and leveraging environmental
initiatives can also be essential to support the company’s environmental performance via risk
management as well as audits.
With regards to environmental protection, UPS and DHL use renewable fuels and tree
planting. UPS aims at planting 15 million trees by 2020. In addition, tree planting initiatives
would help the company attain its 20% target by the end of 2020 (UPS, 2015). Consequently, the
renewable energy vehicles could be important when it comes to reducing inefficiencies and
environmentally unfriendly vehicles while protecting the ecology. Like UPS, DHL also uses
renewable energy to reduce greenhouse emissions; this could help the company to attain its 2025
target of 50% carbon efficiency (DHL, 2017). Social equity highlights fairness to everyone in the
community. To that effect, UPS intend to plant more trees to reduce carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. In turn, this is beneficial to the environment and the communities.
In 2015, the UPS pledged to fund planting of 5 million trees in different nations. So far,
UPS and its partners have planted trees in 46 nations to help communities. Like UPS, DHL
promotes social equity by collaborating with forestry authorities, charitable organizations and
non-governmental organizations to planting trees. Trees play an important role when it comes to
absorbing carbon emissions in the air and filtering of other pollutants. Furthermore, DHL fosters
equity through education. Based on this face, both UPS and DHL should put emphasis on
engaging stakeholders so as to recognize the tradeoffs associated with logistics in healthy, safe
and equitable environment.
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References
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DHL (2017). Dedicated to shared values. Corporate sustainability report. DPDHL.
