September 16, 2019 — Starting today, UPS and LOWA are partnering on a carbon offset program to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions generated by shipments of LOWA product. UPS’s Carbon Neutral Program will track every ton of CO2 the shipments produce in transportation and an equivalent amount of CO2 will be saved by a verified emission reduction project needed elsewhere in the world.
This partnership was born after LOWA’s general manager, Peter Sachs watched a CNN Business piece that explained in no uncertain terms the environmental impact from shipping packages. “By participating in UPS’s program, LOWA will support emissions reduction projects that help mitigate the climate impact of shipping products to our customers,” commented Sachs. “I encourage everyone to watch this compelling explanation of the environmental impact the world faces from shipping: cnn.com/2019/07/15/business/fast-shipping-environmental-impact/index.html“
How does the partnership work?
• At no additional cost to their retailers or consumers, LOWA will ship UPS Ground packages using the UPS carbon neutral option.
• UPS collects a fee from LOWA and calculates the carbon impact associated with the shipment.
• UPS purchases carbon offsets.
• Offsets are invested in environmentally responsible projects worldwide.
LOWA is encouraging all their customers to consider carbon impact when they place orders and opt for ground transportation wherever possible. The company understands, however, that there are times when product is simply needed sooner. In those cases, LOWA will add a carbon offset charge for Priority Service shipping. Most important, the surcharges will also be applied to all Priority Service purchases directfromLOWA (where LOWA always charges for shipping so as not to compete with retailers). Fewer than 2% of dealer shipments are via Priority Service shipping whereas almost 20% of consumer online purchases use the expedited service.
It is understandable that both consumers and retailers sometimes need product, in this case, LOWA boots, as soon as possible; but speed comes at an environmental cost. Priority Service shipping generates eight times more carbon emissions than a typical ground shipment does. Why? Priority Service Shipping involves air transport and delivery trucks that are not completely full, while ground shipping uses more efficiently packed trucks. The Carbon Neutral Program is a simple economic way to address this challenge.
LOWA intends to do everything possible to run their business adhering to the highest environmental standards and they encourage all their customers to do the same.
