A fleet of electric
vehicles cars will carry out An Post deliveries in the centre of Dublin by the end
of the year.
The
eco-friendly scheme is part of the company’s “eco-post” plan devised to
eliminate its carbon emissions by 2050.
Under the scheme, a total of 750 electric cars will replace the urban fleet by 2022 as part of the plan, with 200 of those travelling the street this year.
The plan will expand to Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny and Waterford by the end of 2020.
A number of
trial initiatives, including public charging points for electric vehicles
outside post offices and solar panels for its building, will also be
implemented under the new scheme.
All eco-friendly
initiatives introduced in 2019 will cut carbon emissions by 1,000 tonnes
annually, according to the Department of Climate Action.
Minister for
the Climate Action Richard Bruton TD said that An Post’s sustainable shift is a
good start as Ireland must “step up” its response to “climate disruption”.
“It is vital that
every aspect of our society seek ways to reduce their carbon impact and the
public service and our semi-state bodies must be the first to show that it
takes policies for sustainability seriously,” Mr Bruton said.
Shane
McDonagh, a PhD researcher at UCC Environmental Research Institute (ERI) welcomed the move for a plan that should have been executed years
ago.
“I absolutely think it is a step in the right direction,” Mr McDonagh told The Green News, adding that it will also prove cost-effective for the postal service in the long-run.
“It makes sense that companies with fleets of vehicles doing regular routes be the first to take the leap, the more predictable usage patterns mean they don’t experience the same range anxiety as some everyday drivers.”
Not zero-emissions yet
While An Post’s
new plan is outlined as zero-emissions, electric cars will derive at least some
of their power from fossil fuels due to the make-up of the Irish energy system.
According to a
recent report published by
Ireland’s Sustainable Energy Authority (SEAI), the country’s share of
electricity generated from renewable sources was just over 30 per cent last
year.
Mr McDonagh said
the relationship between electric vehicles and sustainability is complex and
“something of a chicken and egg problem”.
“The clearest
benefit of electric vehicles today is the reduced air pollution compared to
petrol and diesel,” he said.
“Even though the
majority of our electricity comes from burning natural gas, as we continue to
integrate more and more renewable electricity the carbon emissions savings of electric
vehicles will increase,” he continued.
“Electric vehicles allow us to leverage our successful integration of wind energy against our poor record in tackling transport emissions.”
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