UPS Earns Top Score Among U.S. Firms on Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index

(3BL Media) New York City - September 13, 2012 - For the second consecutive year, UPS (NYSE: UPS) has received the highest score in the 2012 Carbon Disclosure Project's "Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index" of S&P companies, receiving a 99 out of 100. 

UPS is one of only two U.S. companies to achieve the high score, reflecting the company’s commitment to transparency and leadership with regards to carbon reporting and performance in mitigating environmental impact.  UPS is the only company from the Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P) Industrials sector to receive the highest score.  Only four companies in the world received scores of 99 or higher.

According to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), companies are scored on their climate change disclosure and high scores indicate good internal data management and understanding of climate change related issues affecting the company. 

Results from the 2012 Carbon Disclosure Project indicate that S&P 500 companies are making significant strides with regards to transparency and progress on carbon goals, narrowing the gap with Global 500 companies.  The average performance score of the S&P 500 increased by 44% with assurance of emissions data nearly doubling, signaling a greater commitment to transparency and accuracy.

"Companies that make the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index have demonstrated good internal data management practices for understanding greenhouse gas emissions," said Paul Simpson, chief executive officer of the Carbon Disclosure Project.  "They have shown a strong awareness of the business issues related to climate change including climate-related risks and opportunities. Those organizations that give clear consideration to measuring and reporting on climate change issues will be best placed to capitalize on the opportunities from managing them."

"UPS's commitment to sustainability and transparency in reporting is a guiding principle to our strategy,” said Scott Wicker, UPS's chief sustainability officer.  “Being recognized by one of the world's most respected organizations evaluating environmental performance is an affirmation that our programs are on the right path to creating a better environment for our employees, our customers and our communities.”

UPS continues to assert its leadership in sustainability reporting and best practices.  The CDP honor follows the release of its 2011 Corporate Sustainability Report, which summarizes UPS’s progressive sustainability efforts.  The report received the A+ designation after meeting GRI's reporting standards and then receiving assurance review by Deloitte & Touche LLP.  UPS views sustainability reporting as a valuable tool for customers, investors and other stakeholders to evaluate the performance and commitment of a company to truly sustainable business practices.  To access UPS’s 2011 Corporate Sustainability Report, visit www.ups.com/sustainability.

The CDP leadership index is compiled by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) and provides an evaluation tools for institutional investors and other stakeholders.  In 2012 it includes 53 companies from the S&P 500 based on analysis of responses to a CDP questionnaire, which focused on greenhouse gas emissions, emissions reduction targets and risks and opportunities associated with climate change.  The Global 500 report, including names of companies featured in the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index, can be found at www.cdproject.net

About CDP

The Carbon Disclosure Project is an international, not-for-profit organization providing the only global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share vital environmental information. CDP harnesses the power of market forces, including 655 institutional investors with assets of US$78 trillion, to collect information from companies on their greenhouse gas emissions and assessment of climate change and water risk and opportunity. CDP now holds the largest collection globally of primary climate change and water data and puts these insights at the heart of strategic business, investments and policy decisions. Visit www.cdproject.net to find out more.

About UPS

UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the Web at UPS.com and its corporate blog can be found at blog.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.