Recently, China Post Group Corporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as China Post Group) released its Green Post initiative and ecological protection priorities in 2022, requiring all postal enterprises across the country to fully apply Xi Jinping’s thought on ecological civilization and Xi’s important instructions on green governance of express packaging, thoroughly implement the overall requirements of China Post Group’s 14th Five-Year Plan on Green Post, deepen green packaging governance, improve green transportation system, and innovate green finance development, thereby striving for the objectives of the "9917" project: by the end of 2022, 90% packaging materials procured and used will meet green standards, 90% packaging operation will be standardized, 1 million recyclable express boxes will be used, and 70 million corrugated boxes will be recycled and reused. Starting this year, postal enterprises will fully implement environmental protection policies, fulfill their corresponding responsibilities, and coordinate environmental protection with the Green Post initiative to boost the establishment of a new postal development pattern of "six-dimensional symbiosis" featuring the inclusiveness, platforms, digitalization, green, dynamic and harmony of China Post.

China Post Group has made clear four specific measures it will take to comprehensively carry out the overall mission of the Green Post initiative.

First, China Post Group will accelerate green transformation of express packaging. Postal enterprises should press ahead with the selection governance of express packaging; continue to push forward standardized express packaging products, green packaging and reduced packaging; continue to strengthen plastic pollution control; and strive to bring the contents and requirements of packaging standardization, reduction and recycling into pickup service agreement. Postal enterprises should continue to carry out standardized packaging operation programs, and integrate the workflow and operational norms of packaging, sorting and delivery into pre-job training and on-the-job training for their employees. They should make greater efforts to address excessive packaging and random packaging, promote the integration of product packaging, sales packaging and express packaging, and standardize packaging in mailing of items collected from individual customers. Postal enterprises should boost the recycling of express packaging, strengthen infrastructure construction, continue to promote the application of recyclable packing boxes (including envelopes), actively launch large-scale trials on recyclable packaging, and steadily increase the application scale and proportion of recyclable transit containers. They should also carry on special campaigns to recycle corrugated boxes, foster a variety of recycling scenarios, organize special events at significant moments, and explore the establishment of packaging recycling network system.

Second, China Post Group will vigorously push forward green transportation projects. China Post will promote the use of new energy and clean energy vehicles, and improve the structure of its transportation capacity. It will continue to optimize the mode of transport organization, enhance the intensive operation of transportation, and increase the proportion of drop-and-pull transportation for round-trip trunk postal routes. Moreover, China Post will launch training programs on energy-saving driving for all drivers of postal vehicles across the country.

Third, China Post Group will push forward green finance project. China Post will actively support green, recycling and low-carbon development; vigorously develop sustainable, green and climate finance; and accelerate innovation of green and transition finance products and services. It will help promote China’s digital yuan, e-CNY, cultivate convenience and diversified service scenarios, and propel green consumption in transactions. In the research and development of insurance products, China Post will take green and healthcare into account, focus on the insurance demand of the foresters and other environmental protection workers, and provide them with insurance against the losses caused by accidental injuries and other reasons in the process of forestry production.

Fourth, China Post Group will vigorously carry out land afforestation. China Post will consolidate the achievements of  postal staff’s voluntary tree-planting campaign and other afforestation initiatives, implement relevant requirements of China Post Group's land afforestation plan, and mobilize postal enterprises and postal workers at all levels to participate in land afforestation. It will adopt multiple organizational forms to carry out diverse voluntary tree planting activities, give play to the role of postal enterprises in land afforestation, and enhance the brand image of Green Post.

China Post Group has emphasized the in-depth promotion of the governance of environmental protection. China Post will unswervingly follow the high-quality development path of prioritizing ecological conservation and pursuing environmental friendliness, work to make solid gains in the battle against pollution, and earnestly fulfill the ecological and social responsibilities of postal enterprises for their local areas. The leadership of postal enterprises at all levels, as the main body responsible for the implementation of various environmental protection laws and policies, with executives holding principal posts bearing the main responsibility for environmental protection of the company, should make conscientious efforts to implement relevant laws and policies, and designate personnel to take charge of environmental protection. Postal enterprises should follow the environmental protection policies issued by local  departments of traffic management, environment, water affairs, city management and other authorities, so as to give timely response. They should enhance communication with local environmental protection departments, and timely report to them the environmental protection mechanism and the implementation of relevant policies in postal enterprises. They should also carry out environmental protection supervision and inspection in a timely manner, and include environmental governance in daily inspection and supervision as well as disciplinary inspection of the Party committee.

China Post Group calls on postal enterprises to continually improve the support system, attach more importance to the exemplary and leading role of typical cases, ensure the submission of environmental protection data, give full play to the synergy among enterprises, universities and research institutes, try to get support from local policies, strengthen training, publicity and guidance, and eventually accelerate the implementation of the Green Post initiative.