UPS Creates Chief Sustainability Officer Position

Package delivery company UPS (NYSE: UPS) appointed its first Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) this week.

Scott Wicker, the company’s vice president of corporate plant engineering, has stepped up to fill the C-suite role, which is emerging at more large companies and corporations.

"The creation of the new post recognizes the expanding scope of UPS’s sustainability actions, as well as its strategic importance," said UPS Chief Operating Officer David Abney, to whom Wicker will report. "The long-term success of our company absolutely requires a balance of the environmental, economic and social aspects of the business. Sustainability encompasses all of those areas."

Wicker already has been deeply involved with the advancement of sustainability at UPS, establishing a dedicated engineering group that manages global sustainability data for reporting and also leads internal environmental initiatives. His team oversees a cross-functional Sustainability Working Committee that establishes key performance indicators and goals for the company. Wicker also is a member of the Corporate Sustainability Steering Committee, which includes six members of the UPS’s Management Committee executives, the top tier of the company’s management structure.

An electrical engineer, Wicker has been with UPS for 34 years, starting out as a package loader and then advancing through UPS’s engineering ranks.

"The discipline and systematic analytics we use in engineering are extremely valuable when devising internal sustainability programs," Wicker noted. "Quantitative methodology ensures that our sustainability programs measure impact and keep us moving toward continuous improvement."

UPS has taken a lead in advancing standardized reporting guidelines for the logistics and transportation industry. The company has been engaged with the Carbon Disclosure Project, the World Resources Institute, The Global Reporting Initiative and others in this area.

UPS also has set goals in reducing carbon emissions in its air and ground fleet, promoting fuel and energy conservation, investing in alternative fuels and technology and leveraging technology to reduce the miles the company flies and drives.

"My role is to ensure that UPS continues to lead the industry in sustainable business practices; to introduce innovative, environmentally-responsible products to our customers, and to encourage employee engagement in the communities where they live and work," said Wicker.