Athlone company shortlisted for prestigious Green Award
Athlone headquartered parcel-delivery firm DPD Ireland has been named a finalist in the prestigious Green Awards.
The Green Awards in association with Bord na Móna have been running since 2008 and recognise the extraordinary contribution and commitment companies make towards growing a greener future in Irish business.
A major employer in Athlone and the Midlands, DPD Ireland is one of seven companies to be shortlisted in the Green Transport category of the awards.
The Green Transport Award recognises the most comprehensive programme of actions or initiatives which promote sustainable transport from a logistics and/or transportation service provider in Ireland.
DPD Ireland last year announced it was investing a further €2 million decarbonising its Irish fleet, with the addition of 100 new electric vehicles by the end of 2022. The company has already invested €3.2 million since 2019 in electric vans and infrastructure.
In 2021, DPD Ireland installed air quality sensors on 104 of their delivery vans. The sensors capture street air quality data in real time, and the information is then shared for free with universities, local authorities, the Asthma Society of Ireland, and the public, as part of a sustainability initiative by the company to highlight the issue of air pollution.
“Our vision is to be the reference player for sustainable parcel delivery on the island of Ireland. We are on a journey of fleet electrification and smart urban delivery to reduce CO2 per parcel by 30% by 2025,” DPD Ireland chief executive Des Travers said.
The Green Transport Award is one of 24 awards which will be presented at a gala awards event on April 21st. DPD Ireland’s competition in the category includes An Post, Freightspeed Transport, Go-Ahead Ireland, McCulla Ireland, Virginia International Logistics and ZEUS Scooters.
Other well-known companies shortlisted in various categories include, Ballymaloe Foods, Intel, Dairygold, Deloitte, Lidl and Brown Thomas Arnotts.
The awards judging panel includes NUI Galway Environmental Health & Safety Manager Lorraine Rushe, Heineken Ireland Sustainability & Public Affairs Manager Barbara-Anne Richardson, Bristol Myers Squibb Environmental Manager Brian Abbott, SleepWell Senior Sustainability Advisor Jan Peter Bergkvist and Aidan Byrne, Sustainability and Utilities Manager at the Aviva Stadium.
“There is a long way to go but these awards recognise the excellent contribution and commitment made by other companies to create a greener future, and it is very encouraging to see the great progress that has been made to protect our planet. We are proud to be part of an event that highlights leadership and sustainability in green practice in Ireland and look forward to hearing more about sustainable solutions and practices undertaken by companies in Ireland at the Green Awards in April 2022,” John Hannan, head of Corporate Affairs at Bord na Móna said.
DPD Ireland is part of the DPD Group, the second largest international parcel delivery network in Europe. The group delivers deliver 7.5 million parcels each day which equates 1.9 billion parcels per year.