FedEx Boosts Efforts to Connect the World in Responsible and Resourceful Ways

MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 23, 2013 /3BL Media/ - FedEx today has released its fifth annual Global Citizenship Report, outlining the company’s efforts in its focus areas of Economics & Access, Environment & Efficiency, Community & Disaster Relief, and People & Workplace.  Highlights from this year’s report include:

• Significant savings from sustainability efforts, including fuel and energy cost savings and materials recycling revenues;
• Successful achievement of the FedEx Express goal to improve the overall fuel efficiency of its vehicle fleet 20 percent by 2020, years ahead of schedule;
• Continued support for disaster relief and preparedness organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Direct Relief, Heart to Heart International, The Salvation Army and others.  FedEx moved approximately four million pounds of disaster aid in the wake of Superstorm Sandy alone.

“FedEx is committed to connecting the world responsibly and resourcefully,” said Mitch Jackson, vice president of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, FedEx Corp.  “This year’s Global Citizenship Report aligns with the Global Reporting Initiative G3.1 Guidelines to communicate our continued efforts to address sustainable actions and solutions for our customers and our communities in a more standardized and transparent way.” 

Environment & Efficiency
FedEx works to achieve our ambitious sustainability goals through EarthSmart^®, the FedEx roadmap for operating in an increasingly sustainable way and engaging our stakeholders to help us reduce the environmental impact of our daily business operations.  As outlined in this report, EarthSmart has guided FedEx towards the successful accomplishment of one its sustainability goals and a 50 percent increase of two of its goals, focused on increasing vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing aircraft emissions intensity.  These aggressive new targets continue to move the world’s largest express transportation company forward in an environmentally-conscious manner.  The report outlines more accomplishments, including the company’s continued focus on alternative transport fuel sources such as electricity, natural gas and biofuels.   

In the last year, FedEx has:

• Surpassed and revised its vehicle efficiency sustainability goal.  In March 2013, FedEx Express announced that it surpassed its goal to increase the fuel efficiency of its vehicle fleet 20 percent by 2020, as compared with its 2005 performance.  FedEx also announced a revised, more aggressive goal to increase the vehicle fuel efficiency of its fleet 30 percent by 2020. The company’s significant progress towards its fuel efficiency goal is the result of a number of initiatives, including its strategy of matching the right vehicle to each route, purchasing vehicles with right-sized engines like the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, incorporating lower-weight, composite-body Reach vehicles from Spartan / Utilimaster, and increasing the size of its alternative-energy fleet, including hybrid-electric and all-electric vehicles.
• Continued deployments of electric vehicles in cities around the globe.  Also in March 2013, FedEx Express announced the introduction of ten all-electric vehicles for use in Hong Kong—the first fleet of zero-emissions electric vehicles for FedEx in Asia Pacific.  The company increased the overall size of its alternative-energy vehicle fleet by 18 percent in its fiscal year 2012 alone, with a total of 364 hybrid-electric vehicles and 118 all-electric vehicles.  To date, these vehicles have saved almost 500,000 gallons of fuel and traveled more than 15 million miles.
• Continued aircraft fleet replacements. In its fiscal year 2012, FedEx Express introduced seven more Boeing 777 aircraft into our fleet, which use 18 percent less fuel and provide greater payload capacity than the MD-11 aircraft they replace. The company currently has 23 Boeing 777s providing service to 25 cities around the world and is still on track to have 43 777s in service by 2023, as reported last year.  Further, FedEx Express expects to introduce the Boeing 767 aircraft into its fleet in Fall 2013, which will further contribute to its ability to meet the newly-revised aircraft emissions intensity reduction target.

FedEx also remains committed to its goal of sourcing 30 percent of its jet fuel from alternative sources by 2030.  The company is working with The Nature Conservancy to develop a roadmap to guide the adoption of biofuels for our long-haul segments. This roadmap can also act as a guide for the transportation sector as a whole—helping FedEx and others use more sustainably sourced fuels.  Further, the FedEx Express Fuel Sense program, an EarthSmart initiative focused on more efficient aircraft operations, has successfully identified dozens of ways to reduce fuel usage and carbon emissions while continuing to ensure safe aircraft operations.  Fuel Sense saves 49 million gallons of jet fuel and avoids more than 466,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year.

• Expanded its network of solar energy facilities.  In October 2012, FedEx broke ground on its solar energy facility at the FedEx Express hub in Newark, N.J.  This is the ninth rooftop solar installation on a FedEx facility—six in the U.S. and three in Europe.  FedEx has generated more than 20 GWh of solar electricity and reduced CO₂ emissions by an estimated 6,989 metric tons since building its first installation in 2005.

Community & Disaster Relief
In 2012, FedEx continued its long-standing support for organizations focused on disaster relief, pedestrian and road safety, and environmental sustainability.  Total charitable contributions across all FedEx giving areas, consisting of direct cash contributions, donated shipping and team member contributions, totaled $46 million.  Additionally, more than 16,500 team members participated in a wide variety of community service projects throughout the year, helping FedEx make its local communities better places to live, work and play.

Each year, the company sets aside space and funding for up to four million pounds of disaster relief supplies and equipment for groups such as the American Red Cross, Direct Relief, Heart to Heart International and The Salvation Army throughout the year.  Over the past ten years, FedEx has delivered approximately 50 million pounds of relief supplies to disaster victims around the world.

In times of disasters like Superstorm Sandy, FedEx is able to use its assets and expertise to move relief supplies quickly to communities in need.  In the days and weeks following Superstorm Sandy in November 2012, FedEx donated $1.5 million and an additional four million pounds of disaster aid on behalf of these relief organizations.  FedEx also shipped 23,000 meals and 17 polling stations in the wake of the storm.  

In addition to the extensive resources of the FedEx global transportation network, the company works with the United Way to sponsor its annual companywide contribution campaign.  As part of this program, FedEx offers team members in the U.S. the opportunity to participate in a payroll-deduction contribution campaign, which is currently in its 37^th year.  The United Way campaign kicks off with FedEx Cares Week, providing volunteer opportunities for team members around the world to share their time and talents with local, national and international organizations.  This year’s FedEx Cares Week program drew nearly 6,000 participants—a 36 percent increase in participation from the previous year—who donated 34,000 volunteer hours in 72 cities worldwide.

Separately, the annual Safe Kids Walk This Way events teaching child pedestrian safety rules drew more than one million student and community participants and nearly 1500 FedEx volunteers in 502 cities.  In August 2012, Safe Kids and FedEx released a study: Walking Safely, A Report to the Nation, that examined 15 year trends in child pedestrian injuries and deaths in the U.S.

More information about the accomplishments highlighted here and additional stories about the FedEx commitment to responsible corporate citizenship may be found in the online version of the FedEx 2012 Global Citizenship Update at csr.fedex.com.

About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services.  With annual revenues of $44 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.