UPS
CEF Lead Executives
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SCOTT CHILDRESS
President of UPS Sustainability
Scott is a sustainability and finance executive with extensive corporate, international, operational CFO and capital markets experience. Scott leads a global sustainability team focused on achieving UPS’s carbon neutrality by 2050 by driving UPS’s decarbonization strategies with capital and energy transitions (SAF and renewables), creating green products that enable the transition and ensuring the company complies with global sustainability disclosures. Leader in executing digital and physical transformations by focusing on a strong data- driven, analytical approach to problem solving and collaborating with others to drive positive change.
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HARMONY FOSTER
Sustainability Director
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ANDRIA SMITH
CEFNext
Sustainability Program Manager
Andria Smith is the Sustainability Program Manager for UPS. Structured under the Buildings and Systems Engineering function, the Sustainability team ensures UPS accurately captures and reports on the metrics associated with UPS’s environmental responsibility initiatives. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Mercer University, Andria joined UPS as an Industrial Engineer with UPS Mail Innovations, a work-share program with the United States Post Office.
Latest Sustainability Reporting
2023 Sustainability and Social Impact Highlights (March 2024)
Highlights
- Decreased Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions globally by 8.1% over 2022.
- 28.8% of ground operations used alternative fuels, up from 26.5% in 2022.
- Increased alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles to over 18,300 in 2023, up from 15,600 in 2022, averaging more than one million miles per day driven with these vehicles.
- Renewable electricity powering global facilities totaled 10.9% in 2023.
- Women made up 33% of C-suite executives and 27% of full-time management globally.
- Ethnically diverse individuals made up 39% of the U.S. workforce and 33% of C-suite executives.
- Invested $409 million in safe driving education and training advancements in 2023.
- Contributed $60 million in charitable contributions, with 35% spent in underserved and marginalized communities.
- Delivered over 175 million vaccines and supported relief efforts for over 50 disasters and humanitarian crises around the world.
Recent News
2022
Consortium on quantifying end-to-end GHG logistics emissions — Smart Freight Centre and WBCSD are leading a new consortium of over 25 global companies to co-develop and implement guidance to quantify the impact of GHG logistics emissions from supplier to final customer. The effort builds upon Smart Freight Centre’s Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) Framework 2.0 and WBCSD’s Pathfinder Framework and is supported by the World Economic Forum and participating organizations including CEF members Dow Chemical, Siemens, Unilever, and UPS, with analytical insights and advisory guidance, provided by McKinsey & Co. The guidance is expected to be published by the end of 2022. (April 2022)
The Department of Transportation is leading a new public-private initiative called Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) to pilot freight data exchange along the goods movement supply chain and “support a more resilient and fluid supply chain.” FLOW has 18 initial participants including companies (CEF member UPS among them), ports, and ocean carriers. (March 2022)
Committed to investing $1.25 million through UPS and The UPS Foundation for UPS Ignite, a new program to promote equity and inclusion for diverse business owners in the United States. Ignite will reach over 250 SMBs in the next three years and focus on four key areas: capital, online training, classes, and business coaching. (Jan 2022)
2021
UPS Healthcare opened a “Cold Chain Packaging Center of Excellence” in Kentucky.
It is
UPS's first US-based logistics facility to offer reusable cold chain packaging options, "utilizing the entire life cycle of temperature-controlled packages."The offering will drive
“significant cost savings”
for customers. (Nov 2021)
MORE »
The Biden administration announced a series of actions to fulfill its new goal of reducing emissions in the aviation sector by 20% by 2030, including (Sept 2021):
- A government-led challenge to supply at least 3 billion gallons of SAF to US aircraft operators annually by 2030 and sufficient SAF to meet 100% of demand by 2050. Alongside this announcement, Airlines for America—whose members include CEF members Delta, JetBlue, and UPS—pledged to work to meet the goal.
- Up to $4.3 billion of new and ongoing funding for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) projects
- An SAF tax credit
Committed to being carbon-neutral by 2050 (across Scopes 1-3), with 2 sets of interim targets (June 2021):
- By 2035: 50% reduction in CO2 per package delivered for global small-package operations, 30% sustainable aviation fuel, and 100% renewable electricity in facilities
- By 2025: 25% renewable electricity in facilities, 40% alternative fuel for ground operations
Democrat lawmakers introduced the “Sustainable Skies Act” to create a tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production—up to $2 per gallon—through 2031. A coalition of over 50 groups and businesses—including Boeing, FedEx, JetBlue, and UPS—sent a letter to lawmakers supporting the bill, which applies to SAFs offering at least a 50% reduction in GHG emissions compared to conventional fuels. (May 2021)
Announced plans to purchase 10 eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircrafts to assist with time-sensitive deliveries while limiting emissions associated with transportation. The aircrafts, from electric aircraft manufacturer startup Beta Technologies, are capable of producing zero operational emissions, carrying up to 1,400 pounds, and traveling 250 miles while reaching speeds up to 170 mph. (April 2021)
Companies across the country—including Apple, BlackRock, Bank of America, Cisco, Facebook, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, and UPS—denounced the state of Georgia’s new law overhauling state election procedures over concerns it will restrict voter access and disproportionately disenfranchise people of color. Dozens of Black executives have called on companies to stand up for racial justice by fighting a wave of similar restrictive voting bills being advanced by Republicans in at least 43 states. (April 2021)
AIRLINES FOR AMERICA (A4A) — The industry trade organization representing major U.S. airlines—including FedEx, JetBlue, and UPS—announced its members' commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Members plan to partner with government and business stakeholders to accelerate the development of commercially viable sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with a goal of making 2 billion gallons of SAF accessible to U.S. aircraft operators by 2030. (March 2021)
MORE »
The World Economic Forum
launched Partnering for Racial Justice in Business Initiative, a new coalition to build more equitable and just workplaces. Three steps required to join the initiative include: 1)
Racial and ethnic equity must be placed
on the board’s agenda; 2) Companies must
make at least one commitment towards racial and ethnic justice in their organizations; 3) Companies must put a
long-term strategy in place towards
becoming an anti-racist organization. Founding members include
Bank of America, BlackRock, Bloomberg, Cisco Systems, Facebook, Google, HP, Johnson & Johnson, Kaiser Permanente, Mastercard, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Unilever,
and UPS.
(January 2021)
MORE
»
2020
UPS received the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s 2020 Citizens Award for its “commitment to using its global workforce and network to create a more equitable and sustainable world.” (December 2020)
UPS committed to plant more than 50 million trees by 2030, with a focus on improving lives in Black and underserved communities in the U.S. and developing areas around the world. (September 2020)
UPS will match the carbon offsets of all packages shipped via its carbon neutral program during the month of June. (June 2020)
UPS announced $15 million in funding for non-profit organizations focused on helping underserved communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding is directed to food security, healthcare, education, and financial sustainability. (April 2020)
2019
UPS reached a 7-year agreement with Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to purchase 170 million gallons of renewable natural gas (RNG) through 2026, marking the largest purchase of RNG by a company in the U.S. to date. The company expects to reduce its GHG emissions by around 1 million metric tons over the lifetime of the deal. (May 2019)
UPS was included on CDP “2018 A List,” which recognizes companies for demonstrating leadership on climate change.