Our Vision

Sustainability is a central element of our business success; delivering high quality and affordable services and respecting the communities and the environment in which we live.

In 2008, we published our vision for Sustainability in An Post. In the meantime we have begun to formally integrate this approach into the way we do business.

Our activities touch everyone who lives and works in this country and we aim to make a positive impact at every stage of the supply-chain which we operate, be it mail or retail.

We made steady progress in 2009 and Sustainability is now managed as one of a small number of strategic projects within the Company. A robust and appropriate Governance structure was developed and implemented as well as a formal Energy and Carbon Policy. We engaged in a number of environmental initiatives designed to reduce carbon output and energy usage and we committed to a 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. We invested considerable resources in the continued professional development of our management and staff and we implemented a number of health-related initiatives. We also commenced two new staff engagement programmes, which have been evaluated and subsequently modified.

During the year we focused on integrating Sustainability within our business strategy. This required the Company to establish:

• • Rigorous and linked targets for carbon and energy reduction;
  • Well-entrenched internal reporting processes and governance structures including a Project Board which provides a mechanism for cross-directorate decision making at manager and director level;
  • Individual energy and carbon targets/metrics in senior manager performance appraisals; and
  • Collaborative working with government agencies and within the International Post Corporation (IPC) to develop accounting methods and national standards for energy management.
  

Environment

The Company now has a formal Energy and Carbon Policy which will guide us in reducing our energy use and carbon emissions and ensure sustained access to diverse energy resources, thereby contributing to the organisation’s business and reputation.

It sets out the ways in which An Post will manage energy consumption, emissions from buildings, transport and operations as well as the risks associated with climate change. In essence this policy encourages the development and implementation of responsible business practice. While committing the Company to particular targets it will facilitate a management system which aims to integrate energy and emissions into our decision-making and review processes.

Our 2008/2009 carbon-related data has been benchmarked and assured by the International Post Corporation (IPC).

IPC represents postal operators from Europe, Asia Pacific and the US, who together account for 80 per cent of global mail volumes, 275 million addresses, 600,000 vehicles and 100,000 facilities. To coincide with the UN Climate ChangeConference (Copenhagen, December 2009) we participated in an IPC initiative which published sectoral data and illustrated the relative carbon management proficiencies of member postal administrations. The report commits us to a 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. An Post also agreed to take part in a new Environmental Management and Monitoring System (EMMS) for rating postal operators’ performance on carbon management and emissions. An Post has been reducing its carbon output initiatives and the Company-wide focus on Sustainability has already yielded further carbon reductions and cost savings. We have just completed a contract for the supply of electricity generated from 100 per cent renewable sources.

We also operate one of the largest fleets in the country. Significant efficiencies are also emerging from advanced driver training, including eco-driver techniques, fuel management and the use of Ad Blue bio-fuel additive.

A Building Energy Rating initiative is underway in the Company’s largest premises, including our four national mail processing centres in Dublin, Cork, Athlone and Portlaoise. This is designed to encourage improved energy awareness and usage at each location. Heating and lighting control systems have already achieved savings in the region of €100,000, while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions.

Integrated waste management systems at the Company’s General Post Office headquarters and 13 other sites in the Dublin area have yielded savings of more than €80,000 and up to 70 per cent of office waste has been diverted away from landfill. A pilot scheme within one mails delivery service unit (DSU) has reduced water charges by €800 per annum.
 

Workplace

With over 9,500 full time equivalent staff, ensuring equality, fairness at work and the health and wellbeing of our staff is a priority for the Company.

In 2009 we completed a significant investment programme involving the continuing professional development of our staff. Leading for Results was delivered to over 200 senior managers, equipping them with additional tools to successfully to work effectively within the competitive environment following the introduction of a fully liberalised market in 2011.

This was aligned with additional investment in staff development among our frontline management, administration and operations staff. The Learning to Succeed programme has been rolled out to headquarter’s middle management.

Sustainability formed a distinct module within our senior management development programme and formed the basis of a session at our senior management conference.

To mark European Men’s Health Week (June 15- 22), Male Minder – A guide to Male Health for An Post Staff was posted to over 9,500 employees. In addition, members of the Company’s Occupational Health and Support (OHS) team visited our larger offices during the week, to promote health awareness. The initiative was rigorously evaluated and was very well received.

The An Post Cycle to Work Scheme encourages staff to travel to and from work by bicycle. The scheme allows staff to pay part of their wages in exchange for a bicycle and safety equipment. The equipment is then treated as a tax-free benefit-in-kind, enabling employees to make savings on tax and PRSI. This initiative benefits both the Company and our staff. In 2009, 380 staff registered with the scheme.

Community

An Post is an important part of daily life in every household and business in the country acting as a trusted intermediary for mail, personal finance and business transactions.

We are conscious of the unique reach our Company has through our retail network, employees, products and services.

We continue to provide the Universal Service Obligation (USO) which requires us to deliver mail to all premises five days a week. We continue to operate the country’s largest retail network with post offices and postal agents servicing up to two million people each week.

The economic climate and pressure on the labour market has created a new demand for literacy and numeracy training among adults who are more concerned than ever about their suitability for employment. They are likely to be unskilled in computer technology, may be unbanked and requiring support in the area of lifelong education.

An Post’s literacy awareness campaign in conjunction with the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) promotes a freephone information and referral service, through multiple channels.

At the outset we specifically targeted people with only basic literacy and numeracy, which was creating a barrier to their employment, education or general participation in society.

During 2009, our literacy awareness campaign resulted in:

• Increased participation in education, community and the economy at large;
• Reduced embarrassment and fear amongst those with literacy issues;
• A reliable, safe information source and referral service for those who need it;
• More than 2,600 contact calls received directly attributed to the communications and direct marketing campaign; and
• 50% recall An Post’s promotion of literacy awareness.

Our continuing commitment to raising awareness of literacy issues and resources has made a difference to the lives of thousands.

Technical literacy and digital inclusion are areas of growing demand and concern for older people and their extended families, with particular focus on access to goods and services. Through our support for Log On, Learn, An Post, along with Intel and Microsoft, offers both older and younger members of communities all over Ireland the opportunity to connect and be included in online communications and to pursue leisure time interests.

The programme is fully subscribed for the remainder of the 2009/2010 school term. 3,600 senior citizens have completed the programme with over 200 secondary schools participating nationwide. Among those surveyed, recognition of the Log On, Learn advertisement was 78% at end 2009, while 40% of people recall An Post’s promotion of technical literacy among older people.

An Post first became involved with cycling in 2008 and is now established as the main commercial sponsor of the sport in Ireland. The introduction of the An Post Cycle Series has completed this comprehensive portfolio of activity. The Series is a community cycling initiative. From May until September 2009, 5,500 riders from all over Ireland took part in the 2009 Series. These are club riders, friends, families, work colleagues and serious riders who participated in large scale, community cycling events, for fun or for a serious challenge. The economic benefit of the Series to the hosting communities was also significant with estimates ranging from €230,000 being spent in the north Co. Clare area and approximately €450,000 being injected into the Dungarvan economy by the Sean Kelly Challenge with the Sligo, Meath, and Cork economies also benefitting to a similar extent. The Series is co-ordinated by Local Sports Partnerships in conjunction with their cycling club, local and county partners. An Post and the Irish Sports Council support the initiative at national and local level with the aim of growing participation in the sport at all levels of ability.

Leaders, a photographic exhibition which showcases the contribution made by migrant networks in Ireland took place during May in Trinity College Dublin. The exhibition documents the work and achievements of eighteen individuals and organisations in rights advocacy, gender issues, culture, the media, and religion and highlights how these migrant networks and their leaders facilitate social, cultural, and political integration in Ireland. Following this the exhibition toured the IFSC, Dublin City Council Civic Offices and Dublin City Libraries. The Leaders exhibition has taken up permanent residence at Croke Park where it receives a constantly changing national audience. More than 1.7 million people had an opportunity to view the exhibition in 2009. The public exhibition was organised by the Trinity Immigration Initiative Migrant Networks Project and supported by An Post.

The Disability Act

The Disability Act, 2005 places a duty on public organisations to ensure that their public buildings and services are, as far as is practicable, accessible to people with disabilities.

In particular, those areas of buildings to which the public has access are to be made accessible not later than 2015.

Overall, An Post is on target to meet its commitments with regard to access under the Act. The majority of post offices are, however, operated on a contract basis by postmasters and postmistresses appointed by An Post and the Company is not in a position to oblige them to alter their premises. The Company has contacted them all; informed them of the requirements of the Disability Act; and encouraged them to address any access issues that may exist on their premises. All new contracts require the postmaster or postmistress to provide accessible premises. In addition, a programme to install hearing induction loops to assist the hard of hearing at post offices was successfully completed in 2009.