GO! achieves environmental management certification

GO! Express & Logistics is pressing ahead with its sustainability measures. The existing environmental management certification of the Bonn-based express and courier service provider has now been extended to its regional HUBs – a further step on the path to even more sustainable operations.

GO! Express & Logistics is progressively implementing certified environmental management across its entire system. After achieving DIN EN ISO 14001 certification last year for its Head Office in Bonn and its central HUB in Niederaula, in the state of Hesse, GO! has now successfully completed the certification process for its regional HUBs. With this, GO! has gained another important piece of documentation attesting to the quality of its integrated management system.

Implementing comprehensive, system-wide standards across the GO! network plays a central role in this. In the last several years, the Bonn head office has therefore successively implemented company-wide standards and processes that enable not only a consistent level of quality, but also a successful environmental management system. This additionally allows the GO! stations to link local sustainability measures that have direct on-site impacts to the company-wide framework of the GO! environmental management system.

Having proven effective last year with regard to the certification of the central locations in Bonn and Niederaula, this approach has been continued this year, with the roll-out of ISO 14001 in the regional HUBs following extensive preparations.

‘The successful auditing and certification of the environmental management system at our central locations and regional HUBs is more than just the fulfilment of the requirements for the system-wide roll-out,’ says Tina Baerecke, authorised signatory and head of Marketing, Quality Management and Process Management. ‘It also represents a clear commitment to sustainability – in which environmental aspects naturally play a decisive role. At the same time, however, it’s clear to us that sustainability means taking responsibility – for our environment, as well as for our staff, customers and recipients. Our quality management system, which is certified in accordance with GDP and ISO 9001:2015, is thus equally important with respect to our responsibility overall as strictly with regard to environmental criteria.’

Spotlight on environmental impacts
Even prior to the preparations for ISO 14001 certification, we were aware of our responsibility and in the last few years had taken measures in various parts of the company to promote environmental protection – ‘not just complying with the relevant legal and official requirements, but surpassing them’ Baerecke emphasises. ‘Now we’re giving these efforts a system-wide framework and examining the environmental impacts of all relevant processes and activities in the interest of corporate environmental protection.’ According to Baerecke, this includes identifying measures to reduce environmental impacts and ensuring that raw materials and other resources are used sparingly. Measures such as continuous network optimisation, the integration of additional regional sorting centres and the optimum utilisation of vehicle fleet capacities continue to play a part. And where possible, she says, GO! has of course also pressed ahead with additional measures, such as the use of electric vehicles.

Integrated management system: environment, quality and good distribution practice
GO! has years of experience with a management system and sees this as a good foundation for integrating ISO 14001. ‘After all, our colleagues at our various locations are already familiar with the usual ISO process requirements,’ Baerecke explains. They form the structure of the integrated management system, and therefore also the basis for rolling out ISO 14001 across the entire GO! system. ‘Of course, that on its own isn’t enough,’ she concludes. ‘At the end of the day, it’s about bringing the sustainability claim to life. You can’t do that without effort – but it’s a challenge we’re happy to take on. After all, companies need to make their contribution to ensure a sustainable future.’

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