Compensation of carbon emissions
What do we mean by sustainable parcel shipping?
This means that we compensate CO2 emissions that we cannot reduce or avoid due to our business activities in accordance with the information below.
Which carbon emissions do we compensate?
We offset all greenhouse gas emissions that arise through
- the national and international transport of parcels from collection to delivery,
- company cars, business trips and flights by our employees,
- the operation of our sites,
"well-to-wheel".
How do we offset CO2-emissions?
The upstream and downstream greenhouse gas emissions generated by parcel transport and business operations of GLS Austria are compensated through certified climate protection projects in cooperation with our compensation partner “ClimatePartner”.
These projects aim to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions, for example by protecting rainforests from deforestation. The climate protection projects used by GLS (though Climate Partner) are certified according to highest available international standards, such as Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) or Gold Standard (GS) and are regularly verified by independent third parties.
ClimatePartner purchases the Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) generated by climate protection projects in the amount of the annually calculated emissions to be compensated. Based on these VERs, ClimatePartner in turn issues its own certificates for GLS Austria and its customers, which certify that the respective company and customer emissions calculated by us have been offset.
In which climate protection projects does GLS Austria invest to compensate its emissions?
| Project Region and Country | Project type | Certification Standard |
| Madre de Dios, Peru | Forst protection | Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)CCBS Gold Level |
| Pacajá, Brazil | Forst protection | Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)CCBS |
| Bhadla, India | Solar energy | Gold Standard VER (GS VER) |
| Gadhsisa, India | Wind energy | Gold Standard VER (GS VER) |
| Jodhpur, India | Solar Energy | Gold Standard VER (GS VER) |
| Bhatel, India | Wind Energy | Gold Standard VER (GS VER) |
What does the certification standard of the climate protection projects mean?
Climate protection projects have to meet internationally recognised criteria. The fulfilment of these criteria is verified by audits and certifications which are carried out according to strict standards. The supported projects meet the Gold Standard (GS) or Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) in conjunction with the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS).
GS (developed by WWF and other environmental organizations) and VCS (developed by the non-governmental organization VERRA) are standards for voluntary emissions trading. The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) is a widely recognized global standard for certifying greenhouse gas emissions reduction and removal projects and provides a framework to ensure the accuracy, transparency, and credibility of carbon offset projects, which generate carbon credits or carbon reductions (VERs). The VCS can be combined with the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS), which is an additional standard and focuses on social and further environmental aspects.
The Gold Standard (GS) is another internationally recognized standard for certifying carbon offset projects. What sets it apart is its strong focus on sustainability and co-benefits, such as social and environmental impacts in addition to emissions reductions. Projects certified under the Gold Standard adhere to rigorous criteria, making them not only carbon-neutral but also contributing positively to sustainable development and environmental protection.