Consumers and small businesses are willing to adopt ‘greener’ postal delivery options, but only if they are competitively priced and clearly communicated, a new report shows.
Consumer Scotland research into decarbonisation of the postal market also found a lack of transparency over the information provided by different parcel operators on their overall CO2 emissions.
Scotland has a net-zero target to eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, with transport currently the biggest overall source of emissions.
The postal sector has adopted a number of green initiatives including the use of Electric Vehicles, biofuel long-haul trucks and postal lockers which reduce overall carbon emissions.
However, with over 10 billion items sent through the post in 2023-2024, the sector contributes significantly to carbon emissions, making greener deliveries a key issue in reaching net zero.
Consumer Scotland’s report ‘Driving greener deliveries’ found consumers who wanted to change their habits valued concise, relevant information about sustainable options at the point of purchase.
Participants said user-friendly, jargon-free information would help them weigh environmental costs against speed and price. Some proposed a traffic light-style system, like food labelling, to indicate how climate-friendly different postal options are.
Consumer Scotland recommendations for action include:
- Expansion of sustainable delivery options: Ofcom should work with parcel operators and retailers to increase the number of greener delivery options available to consumers
- Improved consumer information: Retailers and parcel operators should provide clear information on the carbon impact, speed and cost of different delivery options at the point of sale, enabling consumers to compare choices and make informed decisions
- Annual emissions reporting: UK Government and Ofcom should work with industry bodies and the regulator to create a clear, comparable table of CO2 emissions for all parcel operators, reported annually
- Support for small businesses: UK and Scottish governments should explore targeted support - such as financial incentives and accreditation schemes - to help small businesses adopt sustainable delivery methods
- Protecting rural consumers: Ofcom should assess the impact of the postal sector’s transition to net zero on rural and remote consumers, ensuring protections against potential cost increases and limited delivery choices
Consumer Scotland Post Policy Officer Rianna Price said:
“Postal services remain a vital channel for consumers, providing an essential route for letters on healthcare, financial and legal matters, as well as personal correspondence. Small businesses which support the economy also depend on postal services.
“However, there is an urgent need to examine how home delivery contributes to carbon emissions and identify ways to reduce them as part of Scotland’s journey to net zero by 2045.
“Our research highlights consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of sending parcels and letters, but cost and speed of delivery remain higher priorities than sustainability. Consumers and small businesses need competitively priced and clearly communicated greener options.
“To accelerate progress towards decarbonisation of the postal sector we have made a series of recommendations to government and the regulator to address these barriers by promoting affordable, efficient, and transparent low-carbon delivery solutions.”
Background
The report Driving Greener Deliveries examines the attitudes and views of consumers and small businesses in Scotland on more sustainable deliveries and considers how the design of postal markets can enable consumers to make choices that support the transition to net zero.
It is part a wider series of Consumer Scotland work on reaching net zero including research on attitudes across a range of goods and services including low carbon technologies, electric vehicles and water and wastewater services.
Consumer Scotland is the statutory body for consumers in Scotland which was established by the Consumer Scotland Act 2020.