The postal system could become the first industry in the world to eliminate carbon emissions as it seeks to buy carbon credits under the new global trading system.

Speaking at the second Sustainable Development Seminar for Postal Operation in Asia and Pacific Countries in HCM City yesterday, June 25, said: "The carbon emission fund in postal services should be submitted at the Universal Postal Union's (UPU) next meeting." (The UPU is a department of the UN.)

In the last 20 years many environmental solutions have become outdated while some have been successful, but pollution has become a more and more serious threat, he said.

"In the last two decades, floods increased by 2.3 times, in 2012 drought increased by 40 per cent," he pointed out.

"The meeting aims to share experiences and skills to achieve sustainable management for a better environment."

About 50 delegates from 20 Asia - Pacific countries, international organisations such as the International Labour Organisation, Global Union of Trade, Asia-Pacific Postal Union, and France's La Poste are taking part in the three-day meeting that ends tomorrow, June 27.

"We will work on three pillars of sustainable development: economy, environment, and society," Claude Montellier, UPU's environment and sustainable development programme manager, said. 

"We have undertaken 10 priority activities since 2009 to achieve sustainable management."

The 10 include appointing a key manager for sustainable development (SD); preparing action plans; adopting tools to measure SD action; taking action to raise awareness; examining and removing negative impacts on the environment by postal projects; involving manager in SD; and adopting responsible and environmental friendly buying projects.

At the meeting each pillar will be analysed with relation to postal activities and workers, and delegates will discuss and draft a priority action plan for posts in the region in the coming years.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung said:

"Viet Nam Post identifies sustainable development as a priority. 

"We have focused on raising the awareness of employees, producing guidelines on how to use energy safely and effectively, and optimising fuel use in the operation process and delivery routes." 

Source: VNS