With UPS’s global footprint and customers in over 200 countries, we’re committed to delivering a more sustainable future – for the good of our people and our planet. At the 2023 Impact Summit, leaders at the intersection of environment and technology discussed how we’re taking advantage of innovative ideas, smart investments and new tools on our journey to carbon neutrality by 2050.

Here are three ways we’re making a difference right now:

The greenest mile is the one not driven: 📦📦📦 Put simply, we aim to deliver more packages in fewer stops. If we increase the number of deliveries on a single route, we fundamentally reduce our carbon footprint. We’ve been doing this for years, and there’s a host of innovative technology that helps us improve day by day – think smart planning tools, algorithms and machine learning.

“The more we can optimize our operations, there’s a direct correlation to reducing emissions,” said Bala Subramanian, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at UPS. “It’s a symbiotic relationship, and it makes good sense.”

There’s electricity in the air: ⚡We've made significant investments in innovative startups like BETA Technologies to help us deliver the future. In 2024, BETA’s electric aircraft – which can carry 1,400 pounds of cargo at speeds up to 170 miles per hour – will give us flexibility to take off and land vertically at our facilities. The end result? Reduced vehicle emissions, operating cost and transit time, helping us deliver faster than ever.

The benefits go both ways, as our investment in BETA has helped the startup really take off. “We needed UPS to step in and say, ‘We believe in that company … we believe in that technology,’” said Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of BETA Technologies. “That's meaningful to me because BETA is a 20-year dream.”

We deliver sustainability worldwide:🌎 Through our Green Exporters Program, we partner with small and medium sized businesses to provide access to global markets. By using UPS’s scale and expertise, we empower businesses to make better choices for the environment.

“We’re constantly reimagining things so that we can deliver in new ways. Because the world's counting on UPS to be the mover and shaker in terms of new innovations – on the ground or in the air,” said Laura Lane, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at UPS.