Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

300 Chapter 11: Environment and Transport Topic Box 11.4  Transitioning to sustainable transport An Post, as the operators of one of the largest fleets in the country, has a responsibility to ensure that it is reducing the carbon footprint of its vehicles. With a presence in every community, An Post is able to help create a cleaner, greener society by spreading awareness and leading by example. In 2018, An Post began transitioning its fleet to EVs and committed to replace its last-mile vehicles with EVs wherever possible. There are now over 1100 EVs in the fleet, including the first 7.5-tonne e-truck in Ireland as well as over 160 e-trikes for shorter routes. An Post’s journey to a sustainable transport model extends beyond vehicle acquisition to include: ■ the development of Ireland’s largest private charging network of over 1300 chargers, including two public- access fast chargers for customers at the Carlow and Wexford delivery service units ■ the use of hydro-treated vegetable oil for its HGVs as an interim solution. An Post is committed to investing further in sustainable transport, expanding and adapting its last-mile EV fleet as it shifts from being a letter-focused to a parcel-focused business. It remains on track to meet its target of transitioning 50% of the fleet to alternative fuel sources by 2025. An Post is an active member of a number of leading national and European networks, including the Alliance for Logistics Innovation in Europe, 11 Climate Group 12 and Hydrogen Ireland. 13 Source: An Post 11 www.etp-logistics.eu (accessed 31 July 2024). 12 www.theclimategroup.org/ev100-members (accessed 31 July 2024). 13 hydrogenireland.org/?sfw=pass1727261097 (accessed 31 July 2024). Integrated response Volume 4 of the recently published Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment (Moriarty et al. , 2023) supports the call for systemic change in the transport sector. The necessary change must occur within the structure of the transport system, rather than only targeting symptoms such as traffic congestion. This entails shifting the focus of the transport system’s goals from mobility to accessibility. The need to integrate spatial, urban and transport planning provides leverage for redesigning the current system and the avoid–shift–improve framework can help prioritise actions so that proximity redesign (‘avoid’) is placed at the forefront, followed by supporting the shift to sustainable transport modes (‘shift’).