Isle of Man Post Office plan highlights move to green future

The 50-year-old organisation published its annual report

Green initiatives, including the use of more electric vehicles, form part of the Isle of Man Post Office's future focus, the organisation has said.

Its annual plan for 2023-24 has outlined several strategic priorities as the body recorded a drop in its annual profits.

In the last financial year it reported a £540,000 profit, two-thirds down on the previous year's £1.53m return.

That came as the body marks 50 years of operating on the island in 2023.

The dip in profits is partly due to an ongoing decline in letter and parcel volumes, the organisation has said.

The organisation's bid to reduce carbon emissions through transport would include expanding the number of electric vehicles in its fleet, which currently stands at seven out of 125.

The annual plan said the post office had already "taken many small environmentally conscious steps" and had a working group, which met quarterly "to identify and introduce improvements".

'Embrace new technologies'

The report outlined plans to strengthen supply chain arrangements with the UK to increase "inbound parcel market share and parcel delivery partners" and hoped to develop a "more flexible, productive and environmentally sustainable mails operation".

This month the island's mail plane was decommissioned, replaced by ferry transportation as Royal Mail's guarantee for next day delivery to the Isle of Man was scrapped.

The body also wanted to review prices in line with demand and inflation and bring in an online system to allow people to buy their own postage and "have items collected from their doorstep".

Chief executive Simon Kneen said it was imperative for the organisation was "dependent on continuing to embrace new technologies and ways of working to meet our customers changing needs".

The plan is due to go before Tynwald in November.

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