Innovation for a Sustainable Future

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) promotes innovation and sustainable growth in a world where resources are increasingly limited. It is not business as usual. The creation of a sustainable future for business, society and the environment brings together those companies that want to make a difference and use their expertise and skills to develop constructive solutions and take action around the world. Proudly, TNT Express is part of this global initiative.

TNT Express is actively working to make a difference. Last week, TNT participated in the annual WBCSD Council Meeting where it shared its perspectives on three key areas: Development, Urban Infrastructure and Mobility. This was not just a meeting to attend; it was a collaborative-working session to share, create and propose.

Development
The research project “We Are” was presented as part of the Technology Enablers Initiative. This project explored the opportunities of a mobile address service to enable unaddressed people in informal settlements to send and receive goods.

Sacha van Ginhoven –We Are Project Manager– considers that this is an opportunity to empower people locally creating jobs and income for BoP markets. However, despite this opportunity, “the main research conclusion presented and explained to the WBCSD audience was that the introduction of a GPS enabled supply chain solution, based on mobile phone technology, is not the most urgent need to be satisfied for people in informal settlements”, she added.

TNT Express has concluded that the implementation of We Are is not addressing the most urgent issues in Dharavi; therefore, at this moment in time it is recommended for the project to be discontinued.

Urban Infrastructure
The Urban Infrastructure Initiative (UII) envisions a world where cities provide a sustainable environment for people to live, work, move and play. In this occasion, three major cities where assessed: Turku, Tilburg and Surat.

The UII is making sure that it builds solutions and experience in key parts of the globe (see attachment “Turku & TNT's Green Logistics.pdf”).Therefore, these first three UII cities will be followed by similar programmes in other regions like Philadelphia, Surabaya, Guadalajara and four cities in the State of Gujarat (see attachment “UII UrbanTEC presentation.pdf”).

Fifteen companies contribute to the UII project. TNT Express is the only company providing the logistics expertise for a better understanding of the interconnected activities taking place in a city.

Perry Heijne –Project Director City Logistics– considers that “the creation of system solutions is a fun and challenging task because it is necessary to understand each city’s particular needs and characteristics”.

Mobility
This initiative is based on the document Mobility 2030 that seeks to make transport more sustainable. Last week, an international business panel discussed about more concrete solutions on this subject and how their implementation in the next decades would help to deliver WBCSD’s Vision 2050.

Ruben van Doorn –Director Planet Me– shared how this is a valuable discussion for a company like TNT because it addresses which are the necessary steps to take in the next decade. “For TNT Express it is indispensable to be at the forefront of these discussions. We want to set a standard on sustainability and work with other industry leaders to achieve it”, he added.