The Royal Decree of 14 December 2023 (on sustainability) amending the Royal Decree of 14 March 2022, hereinafter ‘the RD’, was published in the Belgian Official Journal at the end of 2023. The following imposes upon the postal services providers (counting at least 250 employees, subcontractors and temporary workers included, over the past year) the obligation to collect certain information within the context of sustainability in the parcel delivery services segment.
In summary, these are:
- for each delivery mode, the average of CO2 equivalent emissions generated by the collection, sorting, transport and distribution of postal items;
- idem, but specifically for the distribution phase;
- for each delivery mode, the average number of vehicle kilometres per parcel in the distribution phase
- the percentage of vehicle kilometres travelled by emission-free vehicles in the distribution phase;
- possible accession to a sectoral sustainability charter;
- the percentage of renewable energy used in their buildings;
- the percentage of electric vehicles and zero-emission vehicles active within the fleet.
The BIPT has to define a method for the first 2 indicators from the above-mentioned Article 8/1, §1, subsection one, 1° and 2° (average emissions in CO2 equivalents throughout the entire chain as well as specifically for the distribution phase). The decision of the BIPT Council of 14 January 2025 presents this methodology, after extensive consultation.