GRI Content Index

This section contains a listing of each GRI disclosure and performance indicator either included in the report or provided in other published documents. Indicators and disclosures included here are among the most material to the Postal Service’s operations.

The Postal Service does extensive public reporting, and additional information can be found in the 2009 Annual Report and the 2009 Comprehensive Statement on Postal Operations, both available at usps.com/about.

Strategy and Profile Disclosures
Indicator	Description	Type	Location/Notes
1.1	Statement from the most senior decision-maker of the organization.	Core	From the Postmaster General
1.2	Description of key impacts, risks, and opportunities.	Core	From the Postmaster General Additional information on key impacts, risks, and opportunities can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (pages 1-15, 25-32, 34-52).
2.1	Name of the organization.	Core	United States Postal Service
2.2	Primary brands, products, and/or services.	Core	Green Products and Services Complete information on USPS products and services can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (pages 26-27) and 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 13-21).
2.3	Operational structure of the organization, including main divisions, operating companies, subsidiaries, and joint ventures.	Core	Information on the Postal Service’s operational structure can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (page 25).
2.4	Location of organization’s headquarters.	Core	United States Postal Service 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW Washington, DC 20260-4232
2.5	Number of countries where the organization operates, and names of countries with either major operations or that are specifically relevant to the sustainability issues covered in the report.	Core	The Postal Service operates within the United States and its territories, and contracts with other national postal operators to provide global delivery service. USPS maintains five International Service Centers (ISCs) which distribute and dispatch mail to foreign countries or to gateway exchange offices.
2.6	Nature of ownership and legal form.	Core	Information on the legal form of the Postal Service can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (pages 25, 60).
2.7	Markets served (including geographic breakdown, sectors served, and types of customers/beneficiaries).	Core	Information on markets served by the Postal Service can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (pages 26, 73-74).
2.8	Scale of the reporting organization.	Core	Information on the scale of the Postal Service can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (pages 2, 55-59, 73-77).
2.9	Significant changes during the reporting period regarding size, structure, or ownership.	Core	Information on significant changes during the reporting period can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (pages 1-15).
2.10	Awards received in the reporting period.	Core	Awards received by the various operations of the Postal Service can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 23-43).
3.1	Reporting period (e.g., fiscal/calendar year) for information provided.	Core	This report covers the Postal Service’s 2009 Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2009.
3.2	Date of most recent previous report (if any).	Core	The 2008 Sustainability Report is the most recent previous report.
3.3	Reporting cycle (annual, biennial, etc.).	Core	The Postal Service intends to publish this report on an annual basis.
3.4	Contact point for questions regarding the report or its contents.	Core	Please e-mail us at sustainability@usps.gov. We can also be reached at USPS Office of Sustainability 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW Washington, DC 20260-4232
3.5	Process for defining report content.	Core	Introduction
3.6	Boundary of the report (e.g., countries, divisions, subsidiaries, leased facilities, joint ventures, suppliers).	Core	This report covers all USPS operations, as defined in the 2009 Annual Report and 2009 Comprehensive Statement. Information from suppliers is included where data is available and relevant.
3.7	State any specific limitations on the scope or boundary of the report.	Core	There are no specific limitations on the scope or boundary of this report. However, we may choose to include additional metrics in future reports as we refine our sustainability strategy and our data collection efforts.
3.8	Basis for reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased facilities, outsourced operations, and other entities that can significantly affect comparability from period to period and/or between organizations.	Core	This report covers all operations, as defined in the 2009 Annual Report and Comprehensive Statement. We intend to report on the same operations in future years.
3.9	Data measurement techniques and the bases of calculations, including assumptions and techniques underlying estimations applied to the compilation of the Indicators and other information in the report.	Core	Introduction Energy consumption and total miles traveled are based on a combination of measured values and estimates based on spend. Municipal solid waste generated and recycled is estimated. Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions have been third-party verified.
3.10	Explanation of the effect of any re-statements of information provided in earlier reports, and the reasons for such re-statement (e.g., mergers/acquisitions, change of base years/periods, nature of business, measurement methods).	Core	Key Indicators; Introduction; GRI Content Index
3.11	Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope, boundary, or measurement methods applied in the report.	Core	Key Indicators; Introduction; GRI Content Index
3.12	Table identifying the location of the Standard Disclosures in the report.	Core	GRI Content Index
3.13	Policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for the report.	Core	Introduction
4.1	Governance structure of the organization, including committees under the highest governance body responsible for specific tasks, such as setting strategy or organizational oversight.	Core	For information on the Postal Service governance structure please refer to the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 6-11).
4.2	Indicate whether the Chair of the highest governance body is also an executive officer.	Core	During the 2009 Fiscal Year, Carolyn Lewis Gallagher served as the independent Chairman of the Board of Governors. She was not an executive officer while serving.
4.3	For organizations that have a unitary board structure, state the number of members of the highest governance body that are independent and/or non-executive members.	Core	The 11-member Board of Governors consists of 9 independent, non-executive members.
4.4	Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide recommendations or direction to the highest governance body.	Core	All meetings of the Board of Governors are open to the public unless the Board specifically votes to close all or part of a meeting in line with exemptions permitted by the Government in the Sunshine Act [5 U.S.C. 552b(b)].
4.5	Linkage between compensation for members of the highest governance body, senior managers, and executives (including departure arrangements), and the organization’s performance (including social and environmental performance).	Core	Compensation for Postal Service leadership is linked to performance through the National Performance Assessment (NPA) and through approved goals. For members of the Board of Governors, compensation is set by statute and thus not directly linked to performance.
4.6	Processes in place for the highest governance body to ensure conflicts of interest are avoided.	Core	Governors and all employees are covered by 5 CFR Part 2635, Government Ethics for Executive Branch Employees. This document can be found at www.usoge.gov/laws_regs/regulations/5cfr2635.aspx. The Postal Service’s legal department maintains a database of Governors’ and officers’ assets and financial interests to ensure that conflicts of interest are avoided.
4.7	Process for determining the qualifications and expertise of the members of the highest governance body for guiding the organization’s strategy on economic, environmental, and social topics.	Core	Each governor of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. It is in the President’s best interest to select governors that are qualified to advise Postal Service leadership on all relevant topics, including economic, environmental, and social topics.
4.8	Internally developed statements of mission or values, codes of conduct, and principles relevant to economic, environmental, and social performance and the status of their implementation.	Core	From the Postmaster General Additional information can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (pages 4-5, 8-15, 20-23).
4.9	Procedures of the highest governance body for overseeing the organization’s identification and management of economic, environmental, and social performance, including relevant risks and opportunities, and adherence or compliance with internationally agreed standards, codes of conduct, and principles.	Core	The Board of Governors directs and establishes policies, objectives, and long-range goals for the Postal Service in accordance with 39 U.S.C. For additional information on governance, please refer to the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 6-8).
4.10	Processes for evaluating the highest governance body’s own performance, particularly with respect to economic, environmental, and social performance.	Core	The Postal Service’s Board of Governors evaluates its own performance annually under the direction of the Governance and Strategic Planning Committee. It is in the Committee’s best interest to incorporate economic, environmental, and social performance into these discussions.
4.11	Explanation of whether and how the precautionary approach or principle is addressed by the organization.	Core	As an organization with utmost concern for our environment, we intend to utilize sound judgment with every decision related to our impact. In addition, our conservation culture encourages all employees to consider the consequences of their activities, both at work and in their personal lives.
4.12	Externally developed economic, environmental, and social charters, principles, or other initiatives to which the organization subscribes or endorses.	Core	While the Postal Service is not subject to Executive Order 13423, Executive Order 13514, or the renewable energy provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), it seeks to fulfill the spirit and intent of these energy directives by voluntarily reporting its progress to the Federal Energy Management Program to create a more comprehensive view of energy management efforts across the federal government. Many of our energy and fuel use reduction goals are based on guidance provided in the Executive Orders and EPAct.
4.13	Memberships in associations (such as industry associations) and/or national/international advocacy organizations in which the organization: has positions in governance bodies, participates in projects or committees, provides substantive funding beyond routine membership dues, or views membership as strategic.	Core	For information on memberships, please refer to the 2008 Sustainability Report (pages 8, 14, 26).
4.14	List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organization.	Core	The Postal Service engages a number of different stakeholder groups including, but not limited to, the Mailer’s Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC), the Greening the Mail Task Force, unions and employee associations, US governmental bodies, and the International Post Corporation. In the future, we plan to expand the dialogue and further engage employees, customers, business partners, and other stakeholders more broadly to provide guidance on our sustainability progress and performance over time.
4.15	Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to engage.	Core	See 4.14.
4.16	Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency of engagement by type and by stakeholder group.	Core	See 4.14. General information on stakeholder engagement can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 8-11, 45-48, 53-54, 56).
4.17	Key topics and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder engagement, and how the organization has responded to those key topics and concerns, including through its reporting.	Core	See 4.14. General information on key topics and concerns raised through stakeholder engagement can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 46-48).

Economic Performance Indicators
Indicator	Description	Type	Location/Notes
DMA: EC	Disclosure of management approach: Economic	Core	Information on the Postal Service approach to economics can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (pages 25-32).
EC1	Direct economic value generated and distributed, including revenues, operating costs, employee compensation, donations and other community investments, retained earnings, and payments to capital providers and governments.	Core	Information on the economic value generated and distributed can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (pages 25-59).
EC2	Financial implications and other risks and opportunities for the organization’s activities due to climate change.	Core	Climate change is an important global issue with potential impacts to natural systems, human health, and economic prosperity. Measurement and management of the greenhouse gases (GHG) that may contribute to climate change is a management imperative. We are working to improve our understanding of GHG impact, mitigate risk factors, ensure compliance with regulations, and identify new business opportunities.
EC3	Coverage of the organization’s defined benefit plan obligations.	Core	Information on benefit plan obligations can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (page 53).
EC4	Significant financial assistance received from government.	Core	The Postal Service is self-funded and does not receive an appropriation from Congress for its operations. However, the Postal Service has received limited appropriations as reimbursement for unfunded services that are statutorily mandated. Additional information on financial assistance from the government can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (page 50).
EC8	Development and impact of infrastructure investments and services provided primarily for public benefit through commercial, in-kind, or pro bono engagement.	Core	Looking at the entire mail value chain, the Postal Service is just a small part of an economic engine that generates hundreds of billions of dollars in sales, salaries, and supplies that benefit communities — large and small — from coast to coast.
EC9	Understanding and describing significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts.	Additional	See EC8. For additional information refer to the 2009 Annual Report (pages 8-9).

Environmental Performance Indicators
Indicator	Description	Type	Location/Notes
DMA: EN	Disclosure of management approach: Environmental	Core	From the Postmaster General Additional information can be found at www.usps.com/green and in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 40-43).
EN3	Direct energy consumption by primary energy source.	Core	Key Indicators USPS monitors direct energy use by segmenting into transportation and facility use. Over 75% of estimated facility energy use is from electrical consumption. For additional context refer to the 2008 Sustainability Report (page 13).
EN4	Indirect energy consumption by primary source.	Core	Key Indicators See EN3. The Postal Service estimates that the primary source of indirect energy consumption is from contract transportation and have estimated the fuel use associated with this category.
EN5	Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements.	Additional	From the Postmaster General; Key Indicators; Greener Facilities USPS is working to further quantify energy savings that can be directly attributed to conservation and efficiency improvements.
EN6	Initiatives to provide energy-efficient or renewable energy based products and services, and reductions in energy requirements as a result of these initiatives.	Additional	Greener Facilities; Engineering for Sustainability; Sustainable Supply Chain; Green Products and Services; Safe and Healthy Environment Additional information can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 13-22).
EN7	Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption and reductions achieved.	Additional	From the Postmaster General; Greener Facilities; Engineering for Sustainability Additional information can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 40-43).
EN16	Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight.	Core	Key Indicators; Safe and Healthy Environment
EN17	Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight.	Core	Key Indicators While all emissions are reported in CO₂-equivalent (or CO₂-e), our emissions inventory estimated emissions of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O. CO₂-e is a measure used to compare emissions from various GHG based on their global warming potential (GWP). The CO₂-e for each GHG is calculated by multiplying actual emissions of the gas by the related GWP. CH₄ and N₂O emissions in CY 2008 represented approximately one percent of total emissions. Estimates for HFCs, PFCs, and SF₆ were not included.
EN18	Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved.	Additional	From the Postmaster General; Processing the Mail; Serving Customers; Greener Facilities; Engineering for Sustainability; Safe and Healthy Environment Additional information can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 40-43).
EN22	Total weight of waste by type and disposal method.	Core	Key Indicators; Safe and Healthy Environment
EN26	Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services, and extent of impact mitigation.	Core	Green Products and Services
EN29	Significant environmental impacts of transporting products and other goods and materials used for the organization’s operations, and transporting members of the workforce.	Additional	Key Indicators; Processing the Mail; Serving Customers; Engineering for Sustainability; Safe and Healthy Environment Additional information can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 40-43).

Labor Practices and Decent Work Performance Indicators
Indicator	Description	Type	Location/Notes
DMA: LA	Disclosure of management approach: Labor Practices and Decent Work	Core	Information on the Postal Service approach to labor practices can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 49-57).
LA1	Total workforce by employment type, employment contract, and region.	Core	For information on the USPS workforce, please refer to the 2009 Annual Report (pages 28, 75).
LA4	Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements.	Core	More than 85% of our career employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Our labor force is primarily represented by the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), and National Rural Letter Carriers Association (NRLCA).
LA5	Minimum notice period(s) regarding significant operational changes, including whether it is specified in collective agreements.	Core	Our collective bargaining agreements require that we provide advance notice to our unions of certain matters that relate to wages, hours or working conditions. The period of advance notice varies depending on the terms of the bargaining agreement and the nature of the issue. By law, we also provide a program of consultation with management associations (National Association of Postal Supervisors, National League of Postmasters, and National Association of Postmasters of the United States), representing supervisory, managerial, and other non-bargaining employees in the field. These consultations provide the opportunity to address issues and to participate directly in the planning and development of programs and policies impacting members of these associations.
LA7	Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days, and absenteeism, and number of work-related fatalities by region.	Core	For information on workplace safety, please refer to the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (page 54).
LA8	Education, training, counseling, prevention, and risk-control programs in place to assist workforce members, their families, or community members regarding serious diseases.	Core	In addition to our Employee Assistance Program, we offer the National Medical and Occupational Health Program, through which we provide preventative medical programs in health counseling, education, and training, manage the medical records of employees, and assist in the prevention of job-related injuries and illness.
LA10	Average hours of training per year per employee by employee category.	Core	Information on training can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 50-51).
LA11	Programs for skills management and lifelong learning that support the continued employability of employees and assist them in managing career endings.	Additional	Information on skills management and learning can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 50-51).
LA12	Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews.	Additional	All non-bargaining unit management and administrative employees are subject to annual reviews. At this time, bargaining unit employees do not receive annual performance reviews as per the terms of each negotiated agreement.
LA13	Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per category according to gender, age group, minority group membership, and other indicators of diversity.	Core	Composition of the Board of Governors is provided in the 2009 Annual Report (pages 16-17). Information on workplace diversity is provided in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 51-52).

Human Rights Performance Indicators
Indicator	Description	Type	Location/Notes
DMA: HR	Disclosure of management approach: Human Rights	Core	Information on the Postal Service approach to human rights can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 49-57).
HR4	Total number of incidents of discrimination and actions taken.	Core	Information on discrimination can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 54-56).
HR5	Operations identified in which the right to exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at significant risk, and actions taken to support these rights.	Core	There were no operations identified in which the right to exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining were at significant risk in 2009.
HR6	Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of child labor, and measures taken to contribute to the elimination of child labor.	Core	There were no operations identified which had significant risk for incidents of child labor in 2009.
HR7	Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labor, and measures to contribute to the elimination of forced or compulsory labor.	Core	There were no operations identified which had significant risk for forced or compulsory labor in 2009.

Society Performance Indicators
Indicator	Description	Type	Location/Notes
DMA: SO	Disclosure of management approach: Society	Core	Community Connections Additional information on the Postal Service approach to society can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 56-57).
SO1	Nature, scope, and effectiveness of any programs and practices that assess and manage the impacts of operations on communities, including entering, operating, and exiting.	Core	Information on community programs can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 56-57).
SO5	Public policy positions and participation in public policy development and lobbying.	Core	While the Anti-Lobbying Act (18 U.S.C. 1913) prohibits USPS from using postal funds to communicate with Congress except through ‘official channels,’ USPS may contact Congress directly to educate or urge action on postal policy issues.

Product Responsibility Performance Indicators
Indicator	Description	Type	Location/Notes
DMA: PR	Disclosure of management approach: Product Responsibility	Core	Green Products and Services; Safe and Healthy Environment Additional information about the Postal Service approach to product responsibility can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 13-21).
PR1	Life cycle stages in which health and safety impacts of products and services are assessed for improvement, and percentage of significant products and services categories subject to such procedures.	Core	Information about the Postal Service’s product life cycle assessment practices can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 13-21).
PR5	Practices related to customer satisfaction, including results of surveys measuring customer satisfaction.	Additional	Key Metrics; Serving Customers Additional information about the Postal Service’s customer satisfaction measurement practices can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (page 45).

Logistics and Transportation Sector Supplement
Indicator	Description	Type	Location/Notes
LT2	Breakdown of fleet composition.	Additional	Information on fleet composition can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (page 33).
LT3	Description of policies and programmes on the management of environmental impacts, including: 1) Initiatives on sustainable transportation (e.g., hybrid vehicles); 2) Modal shift; and 3) Route planning.	Additional	Processing the Mail; Serving Customers; Engineering for Sustainability; Sustainable Supply Chain Additional information is available in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 23-24, 33-36, 40-43).
LT4	Description of initiatives to use renewable energy sources and to increase energy efficiency.	Additional	Greener Facilities, Engineering for Sustainability Additional information is available in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 41-42).
LT5	Description of initiatives to control urban air emissions in relation to road transport (e.g., use of alternative fuels, frequency of vehicle maintenance, driving styles, etc.).	Additional	Engineering for Sustainability Additional information is available in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (page 43).
LT14	Description of policies and programs for public access to mail services (e.g., distance to postal office and mail boxes).	Additional	Information on public access to services can be found in the 2009 Annual Report (page 25) and 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 35-36).
LT15	Provision of logistics and transportation core competencies to deliver humanitarian needs locally and globally.	Additional	Information on delivering humanitarian needs can be found in the 2009 Comprehensive Statement (pages 56-57).