Our performance

In 2023-24 Royal Mail’s total (market-based) emissions were 1,171KtCO2e, representing an overall reduction of 8% on our base year in 2020-21.

This emission reduction was primarily due to Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions decreasing 18% on our base year. We achieved these reductions despite opening the Midlands Parcel Hub and returning to normal levels of activity following Industrial Action in the prior year. They were due to the deployment of c.10 million litres of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) in our fleet of large trucks, and to continued fuel reductions in the vehicle fleet and in our estate.

In addition, we made progress in the following areas:

  • 100% of the electricity purchased and generated is renewable via purchased tariffs and Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) certificates.
  • A continued focus on energy efficiency measures across our operations, including optimising time and temperature controls throughout the coldest months.

When normalised per £ million of revenue, our emissions were 57.9tCO2e/£M compared with 63.8tCO2e/£M in 2022-23 (Scopes 1 and 2 (location-based) only).

CO2e emissions per parcel were 200gCO2e for Royal Mail parcels and 215gCO2e for Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide parcels. This is in comparison to 221gCO2e and 237gCO2e respectively in the prior year.

2023-24 GHG emissions summary*

CO2e (‘000 tonnes)

  2023-24 2022-23** 2021-22
Scope 1 394.6 417.4 483.7
Scope 2 (location-based) 59.1 55.4 58.6
Scope 3*** 775.8 778.5 901.6
Total (all scopes) 1,229.5 1,251.4 1,443.9
Scope 2 (market-based) 0.3 0.8 1.3
Energy consumption (‘000 kWh) 2,153,157 2,104,861 2,434,395

 

*We report our carbon emissions in line with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Corporate Standard. The standard classifies a company’s GHG emissions into three Scopes. Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from sources that are owned or controlled, including the combustion of fuel and operation of facilities. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the purchase of electricity, heat, steam and cooling purchased for own use. Scope 3 emissions are all indirect emissions (not included in Scope 2) that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, including both upstream and downstream emissions. We also report ‘Outside of Scopes’ emissions in our ESG data pack to account for the biogenic emissions associated with the combustion of biogas and biofuel, which sit outside of Scopes 1 to 3. For further information on our reporting boundaries, conversion factors, and calculation methodologies, please refer to our published reporting guidelines here.

**2022-23 Scopes 1 and 2 emissions data have been restated following the provision of data that were previously estimated. Scope 3 emissions data have also been restated for data that were previously estimated and, additionally, to correct a data calculation error for Scope 3 categories 1 and 2.

***Scope 3 emissions data have been restated for 2021-22 and 2022-23, to correct a data calculation error for Scope 3 categories 1 and 2.

We report 100% of our Scope 3 emissions across all relevant and material categories. See page 19 of our 2023-24 ESG Report here.

 

215gCO2e

per parcel average for Royal Mail and

Parcelforce Worldwide

200gCO2e

per parcel average for Royal Mail 

29gCO2e

per letter average for Royal Mail