PETALING JAYA: Pos Malaysia Bhd aims to fully transition to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030 as part of its strategy to reduce its carbon footprint, enhance environmental sustainability, and lower operational costs.
Chief executive officer Charles Brewer said the initiative is aligned with the company's Sustainability Roadmap, launched last year.
Currently, Pos Malaysia operates 143 electric vans and 200 e-scooters across Peninsular Malaysia.
By next year, it plans to convert 28 per cent of its fleet to EVs, with the goal of achieving 100 per cent conversion by 2030.
"We will have about 20 per cent of our fleet converted by January next year, and each year, we will increase at a fairly rapid rate," he told Business Times in an interview after Pos Malaysia's "Beyond the Boardroom" breakfast event.
Brewer highlighted that states such as Kuantan, Sarawak, Kuching, Penang, and Johor are especially enthusiastic about the transition and Pos Malaysia intends to prioritise these regions before expanding to rural areas.
However, he acknowledged that a complete overnight conversion is not feasible due to logistical and financial limitations.
The transition will be carefully planned, focusing on what he called the 'Three C's': capacity, capability, and cost, he said.
Brewer also emphasised that rolling out EVs in East Malaysia, particularly Sarawak, presents challenges, especially in terms of vehicle maintenance and the development of charging infrastructure.
He said the challenge is not only delivering the vehicles but also maintaining them and ensuring sufficient charging stations.
In addition to its EV plans, Pos Malaysia is using telematics to improve driver safety and reduce carbon emissions.
On the company's broader sustainability goals, Brewer confirmed Pos Malaysia's commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, supporting global efforts to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Since 2021, the company has been installing solar panels on its buildings and plans to equip at least half of its 600 properties with solar panels by next year.
"The goal is to have every building converted in a very short order. Solar panels help us save money on energy, reducing our energy bills by about 20 per cent for each building where they are installed. This not only benefits the environment but also improves our profit and loss," he said.
The "Beyond the Boardroom" event, co-hosted by Pos Malaysia, Bursa Malaysia, UN Global Compact Network Malaysia & Brunei (UNGCMYB), Capital Markets Malaysia, and Forest Interactive, focused on practical strategies to accelerate sustainability. The forum, titled "Fast-Track Your Company's Sustainability Endeavour," underscored the importance of achieving a significant environmental impact.
Pos Malaysia's head of sustainability, Jarod Ho, introduced the Pos Hijau Carbon Emissions Report, a new initiative to help customers track, measure, and manage their Scope 3 carbon emissions. The report, set to launch in December, will offer customers comprehensive insights and robust tracking tools to quantify their carbon footprint in a transparent and consistent manner.