20.06.2012 - As the United Nations sustainable development conference (Rio+20) gets underway in Brazil, Posts worldwide are contributing to economic and social development and environmental protection, key pillars of global development and poverty reduction.
Posts are keen to do their part for sustainable development (Photo: Swedish Post)
The Post of the conference’s host country, Correios, is a case in
point. Correios’s efforts in the field of financial inclusion have been
exemplary and the Post is credited with bringing basic financial
services to the majority of Brazilians. In the 90s, millions of
Brazilians were outside the financial fold, leading the government and
the central bank to enable non-banking networks, such as the Post, to
become banking agents in remote areas and democratize access to
financial services. Through its partnership with a commercial bank,
Correios opened 10 million accounts in less than 10 years. Today, anyone
with a national identity card and tax number can open a bank account in
Correios’ Banco Postal’s 6,200 banking points across the country.
“Correios’s initiatives are consistent with our government’s
objectives to realize the UN Millennium Development Goals, which fit in
nicely with all the pillars of sustainable development," said its
chairman, Wagner Pinheiro de Oliveira.
Committed
Many Posts are also conscious of their positions as large employers
with wide public reach to promote AIDS awareness and social inclusion
and several – such as those of Nigeria and Kenya - already have their
own HIV-workplace policies. Others are developing similar policies as
part of the global campaign launched jointly by the UPU, UNAIDS, the
International Labour Organization and UNI Global Union in 2009.
Other countries stepping up to the plate include Japan, which has
generously financed the UPU’s sustainable development activities to the
tune of more than one million CHF during the past few years. This
underlines the Asian nation’s commitment to encourage other countries
and their Posts towards a sustainable business models. “Sustainable
development is a priority for all organizations,” says Jun Takamoto,
environment and sustainable development expert at the International
Bureau seconded by the Japanese ministry of communications. “The postal
sector is a very influential sector, with a lot of direct interface with
the public, which is why the postal sector should focus on being more
sustainable and lead by example.”
Posts have also increasingly turned their attention to protecting the
environment. Tanzania Post and La Poste du Togo are running an
increasing number of offices on solar energy. Swiss Post, La Poste
(France) and bpost (Belgium) have switched most of their fleet to
electric vehicles. The Posts of El Salvador and Ecuador have learned
that long-term energy saving can be as simple as changing a light bulb.
The UPU regularly surveys its member countries on their carbon
emissions and shares best practices to help them reduce their impact on
the environment.
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