Shaping Smart, Sustainable Networks For Environmental Impact

Today, urgent discourse on how we live and operate more sustainably is taking place in every corner of the globe. This means that businesses of all kinds are taking seats at the table to address how they impact the planet.

Of course, the way each company tackles sustainability varies hugely, based on shifting factors like size, operational structure, location and industry. No matter how they operate, it’s clear that bold, strategic vision is essential to propel change – fast. But with so much to tackle, what should successful sustainability strategy look like?

I’m often asked how a company as big as FedEx - with the job of connecting the globe every day - can meet these complex challenges. Spearheading operations for a vast mega-region (with 103 countries and territories across Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa!), I’ve seen how mapping sustainability at scale presents challenges and opportunities.

Driving change, global to local

Operating pan-regionally is driven by more than just economics or lines on a map. It’s up to us to help grow sustainability from the ground up, particularly in emerging economies.??At FedEx, our priority is to provide a backbone of support for our customers in those 103 markets.

This means addressing macro and micro considerations at the same time. Yes, it’s important to deliver on actions that benefit the widest number of markets, but we have a responsibility to improve the wellbeing of individuals in local communities, too.

Viewpoints through a local lens can also offer context for how we act globally. For example, the most recent AMEA market to continue the roll-out of our EV vehicles was Malaysia. Another important step. But that’s only a small piece of our global electrification program that’s seen us activate in a number of AMEA markets already. It’s all part of a bigger plan: our goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040.

Even the most hyper-local of initiatives - planting trees in India or upcycling old FedEx uniforms in Thailand -?ladder up to global sustainability goals shared company-wide. We saw that first-hand?recently. Together, each of the small but mighty actions of FedEx teammates in their local communities helped us to reach a remarkable milestone: to positively impact over 50 million people by our 50th anniversary this year.

Customers are at the epicenter of change

Regardless of geography, it’s important to remember we’re not the only stakeholders. It's our job to hand customers the tools to make the best, most environmentally-friendly choices available.?Best of all, we see our customers actively seeking new ways to be more sustainable every day. More and more, they’re demanding a say in a better future.

There are so many ways this can play out. From helping customers find eco-friendly packaging to managing deliveries digitally and doing away with paper documents, how we integrate each customer counts. Most recently, we’ve launched an online tool that that provides customers with near real-time historical emissions data, enabling them to drive their sustainability efforts forward. FedEx? Sustainability Insights is designed to provide new levels of transparency to our customers and create a feedback loop for making supply chains more efficient. That’s a win for businesses and for our planet.

In the meantime, we can’t afford to slow the pace of change. Sustainability underpins everything we do, and our 2040 goal is drawing closer.

Building networks that last

Keeping the world moving is as essential as ever. In the supply chain world, our response to the issues we face today is clear. We’ve got to focus our energy on building flexible, resilient networks; leveraging insights only data can deliver. By tapping data and working hand-in-hand with customers, we can help shape a future vivid with possibilities.

Yes: addressing climate change is bigger than one business or single community. But when it comes to sustainability, there’s no greater, more pressing priority than the planet we call home.