Green Post Development Strategy in the Context of Ecological Civilization ()
1. Introduction
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the concept of “green” has increasingly become the foundation for high-quality development. We must expedite the transformation of our development model toward a greener approach. By adhering to the concept of a harmonious community between human and nature, prioritizing the ecological concerns, and following green and low-carbon development path, we can effectively practice the five development concepts of “innovation, coordination, green, open and sharing” to achieve the transformation and development of the green post.
2. Significance of Green Post Construction
2.1. Green Development as a Major Strategy and Development Concept of the Party and the State
Green development is an important concept in scientific development, which has a significant bearing on the overall development of our country, serving as the primary means to enhance national strength and international competitiveness. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee introduced the five development concepts of “innovation, coordination, green, open, and shared,” with green development rising as the strategic goal and direction for national development in this new era. The Party’s 20th National Congress Report on “promoting green development, promoting harmonious coexistence between man and nature” lays out a complete road map for promoting ecological civilization construction and green development in our country. Adhering to green development and promoting the construction of ecological civilization has become a major strategy and development concept of the Party and nation.
2.2. Green Development as a Vital Embodiment of the Role of State-Owned Postal Enterprises
In line with green development requirements, such as resource-efficient construction, environmental friendliness, and ecological civilization enterprises, state-owned postal services will actively fulfill their economic, political, and social responsibilities under the guiding leadership of the group company. These enterprises play a central role in promoting the green development of the industry, contributing to the construction of ecological civilization, and reflecting Anhui Post’s central enterprise responsibilities.
2.3. The Importance of Green Development for Post Transformation
Green development helps coordinate enterprise resources and improving operation efficiency. It facilitates enterprise transformation and ensures sustainable development. It contributes to the harmonious coexistence of enterprises and society, achieving openness and a win-win outcome [2] . Guided by the principles of green development, Anhui Post is actively promoting the construction of green post services, embedding green values as the core DNA and competitive edge of the enterprise. By seizing the significant opportunities offered by green development, Anhui Post opens up a road to green transformation.
3. Connotation of Green Post Construction
3.1. Ideas of Green Post Construction
Guided by the five development concepts of “innovation, coordination, green, open, and shared”, we will fully implement the concept of green development. This includes transforming business operations, enriching green products and services, strengthening collaboration between business sectors, building the green post brand, and shaping the post’s brand image as “efficiency, harmony, sustainability, and responsibility” [3] . These efforts will promote green transformation of our post services, making green development a competitive advantage.
3.2. Entry Point of Green Post Construction
Carrying out the construction of green posts will enhance the positioning of the post in four areas: green operations, green lifestyle, green ecology, and green brands. In the field of green operation, we will develop resource-efficient initiatives, green logistics, and green building practices [3] . This will combine green transportation and green packaging projects, as well as establish a green post management system, multi-dimensional development system, and indicator monitoring system to achieve green operations.
· Green Transportation. Green transportation includes actively promoting fuel-efficient transportation vehicles, optimizing organization of transportation, suspending energy-inefficient transport, expanding eco-friendly materials and equipments, such as environmental bags, transit boxes, and cage cars. We will also improve electronic waybill utilization, as well as new energy vehicles to promote green transport technology management and innovation, particularly in urban areas. Investment of all vehicles (including renewal) will be geared towards new energy vehicles. Gradually, we will increase the percentage of new energy or clean energy vehicles operating in urban areas.
· Green Packaging. We will develop and implement green packaging to promote reducing environmental impact. This includes the promotion of eco- friendly and low-carbon packaging materials, reducing the use of tape, and developing packaging recycling systems. We will encourage use of packaging materials in line with national standards, biodegradable green packaging materials, and green packaging boxes for postal branches. Furthermore, we will advocate for use of electronic billing, reduce the average use of single-piece express packaging tape, and aim to eliminate secondary packaging for e-commerce parcels. We will expand the availability of recyclable postal bags and set up packaging waste recycling facilities at express service outlets.
· Green Finance. We will develop and implement green packaging to promote reducing environmental impact. This includes the promotion of eco-friendly and low-carbon packaging materials, reducing the use of tape, and developing packaging recycling systems. We will encourage use of packaging materials in line with national standards, biodegradable green packaging materials, and green packaging boxes for postal branches. Furthermore, we will advocate for use of electronic billing, reduce the average use of single-piece express packaging tape, and aim to eliminate secondary packaging for e-commerce parcels. We will expand the availability of recyclable postal bags and set up packaging waste recycling facilities at express service outlets.
4. Construction and Implementation Path of Green Post
In recent years, the postal service has implemented a series of significant measures to promote development, accelerate enterprise reform, optimize business structures, strengthen network construction, enhance overall service quality, and boost core competitiveness of the enterprises. To align with green development requirements and consider the postal service’s current status, industry’s opportunities, and challenges, we will initiate three key green projects: the green packaging project, the green transportation project, and the green finance project, executed based on the business sectors and advancement of green post construction.
4.1. Green Packaging Project
To comprehensively reduce packaging waste and promote green recycling, the green packaging project will focus on packaging reduction, green technology innovation, and recycling as the core measures. This will effectively reduce packaging consumables, promote green and low-carbon packaging materials, increase degradable green packaging, and improve the packaging recycling system. The project will focus on establishing a resource-intensive green postal packaging model.
· Strengthen Packaging Reduction and Promote Green and Low-carbon Packaging. The project will expand the diversity of product categories in green packaging, boost sales channels, and increase the application of green packaging. The project will comprehensively promote new standardization of packing boxes (new standard boxes) and strive for comprehensive coverage of the new standard for box sales in all postal branches (offices). Specific packaging types and materials are shown in Table 1. The project will also explore the establishment of a feedback and credit evaluation system for enterprises and individuals to practice green packaging consumption. To reduce tape consumption and waste, the packaging standard will reduce tape width, standardize packaging methods, and promote “full cover non-tape packing box”. It will actively promote environmentally-friendly narrow tape and encourage customers to use narrow tape. We will implement flexible use and various incentives to encourage customers to use tape-free packing boxes. The project will promote lightweight philatelic products, diversify product offerings, reduce resource consumption, and enhance environmental protection standards in the production and packaging of philatelic products. We aim to establish a standardized system for philatelic products. The project will strengthen docking channels with domestic and foreign e-commerce platforms, accelerate the expansion of electronic business channels, and promote electronic leaflets. The objective is to gradually transition away from
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Table 1. Packaging product categories of Anhui province of China post group.
traditional paper communication to one-way electronic leaflets. The project will enhance communication with the government organizations, cooperate with their green development requirements, leverage government resources and policy advantages to publicize and encourage merchants in e-commerce delivery industrial parks to adopt postal green packaging. The project will collaborate with government agencies, environmental organizations, e-com- merce customers, and other parties to incorporate green postal packaging and other green development concepts into brand publicity, product promotion, and public welfare activities.
· Strengthen Green Technology Innovation and Promote Use of Green Materials. The project will closely monitor industry green standards set by relevant state departments, stay updated on new scientific and technological innovations of environmental protection within academia. It will accelerate implementation of these standards, incorporate scientific and technological achievements, and adapt the use of new green packaging materials and methods. This project will actively promote the trial of biodegradable products, such as bio-based plastic bags, and promptly implement plans for the use of biodegradable packaging bags. We will also analyze and evaluate the use of biodegradable packaging bags.
· Improve Recycling and Explore Recycling Methods in Postal Packaging. The project will increase recycling of packaging during the marketing process, explore the use of delivery resources, “express” letterboxes, and recyclable packaging pilot programs. It will promote the application of recyclable containers in the transportation phase, and gradually increase coverage of recyclable containers in the whole network. We will integrate packaging materials into the broader social resource classification and recycling system, potentially creating a closed-loop management system for the entire lifecycle of packaging materials. The project will implement the pilot use of recyclable packaging on e-commerce platforms, promptly replicate and implement successful recycling processes and models, leverage the postal service network, and collaborate with upstream and downstream supply chain partners to facilitate recycling and reuse of packaging material across the entire chain.
4.2. Green Transportation Project
To effectively reduce resource consumption and environmental pollution, green transport projects will be implemented with core measures focusing on optimizing the energy use structure of transport equipment, improving transport organization efficiency, enhancing green transport management innovation systems, promoting transport energy conservation, actively reforming transport modes, rapidly improving management levels, and establishing an environmentally-friendly postal transport mode.
Optimize the Transport Capacity Structure. The project will establish technical specifications for the purchase of new energy vehicles, diversify the configuration options for new energy vehicles, and scientifically assess the demand for these vehicles. By regulating vehicle renewal and approval, we can gradually increase the application proportion of new energy vehicles across all operational aspects. We will engage with the dynamic operation of new energy vehicles and actively participate in the construction of a new energy transportation system. In cities with suitable driving conditions, all new (including renewed) vehicles will use new energy technology. Postal fuel vehicles must strictly adhere to national regulatory requirements, expediting the phase-out of older vehicles and strictly control excessive emissions. In the cases where vehicles have access to appropriate driving conditions and functions, vehicles other than long-haul trucks should prioritize the addition and upgrade of new energy vehicles.
4.3. Green Finance Projects
· Our green finance projects will adhere to the core measures of enriching green financial products and services, innovating green financial service methods, cooperating extensively in green finance, actively improving green financial service systems, and establishing an environmentally-friendly green finance model for postal services. The project will promote the intelligent construction of outlets, the deployment of smart equipment and intelligent platform construction, optimization of customer experience, reduction of operating costs, and utilization of technology and equipment to improve the efficiency of green financial services. We will promote electronic operation processes, reduce processing links, reduce waste of resources, and improve service efficiency.
· Provide Green Financial Services. The project will strengthen platform interoperability within the Anhui Post financial sector, fostering customer resource sharing and reuse, building a comprehensive service platform, and creating a postal financial service ecosystem. We will actively engage in exchanges and collaborations, integrate into the green finance cooperation network, strengthen collaboration with financial research institutions, and promote the transformation of scientific research findings. We are formulating green credit policies to clarify the direction of green credit support, key areas, access standards, and management requirements. The policy will strengthen the implementation and management of credit policy, optimize the asset structure, and increase financial support for green economy, low-carbon economy, and circular economy. We will formulate differentiated policies for the allocation of green credit resources, prioritize special credit lines for green credit, and increase support for green credit. The project will implement the bank’s environmental and social risk management measures, as well as clarify the overall requirements, departmental responsibilities, business processes, and other environmental and social risk management provisions. We will improve the application of environmental and social risk indicators in the internal rating model, incorporate green credit factors into the customer evaluation system, formulate annual risk policies and risk quota management plans according to industry conditions, national policy, and regulatory requirements, and implement quota management for relevant industries and customers.
5. Conclusion
In line with the green development imperative of building a resource-efficient, environment-friendly, and eco-civilized enterprise, we are actively fulfilling our economic, political, and social responsibilities. Furthermore, we are advancing the construction of the green post and promoting the three major projects of green finance, green transportation, and green packaging. These measures will extensively mobilize and publicize the concept of green post development into our work processes. We will strengthen the green brand publicity and actively shape the green post brand image of “efficiency, harmony, sustainability and responsibility”.