The Earth and People

On October 16, 2023, La Poste issues a block of four stamps in collaboration with the LPO to warn of the consequences of light pollution for nocturnal biodiversity.

This block is a technical innovation, printed in rotogravure with a retroreflective varnish. It is affixed to street lamps and windows of buildings in order to highlight light pollution.

To view this varnish, use the flashlight or flash on your smartphone. A “vignette” at the bottom left of the stamp reminds us of the importance of being vigilant on this theme.

La Poste’s stamp printing and secure products and the La Poste group are part of a policy of corporate social responsibility.

La Poste has partnered with the LPO for the 4th edition of the “Earth and People” philatelic series to raise awareness of the impacts of light pollution on wildlife. The La Poste group's printing of stamps and secure products is part of a policy of corporate social responsibility.

Concerning more than 80% of the human population on a planetary scale, excess nighttime lighting in open environments degrades animals' perception of the environment and affects their biological rhythms, their behavior or their migrations.

Artificial light represents the second cause of insect mortality after pesticides. Moths like the Lesser Peacock Moth are particularly affected. They confuse the light bulbs with the moon which normally serves as a guide to orient themselves, and end up dying of exhaustion. Light pollution also interferes with the activities of night owls and bats. For the Tawny Owl and the European Barbastelle, the light reduces the effectiveness of their nocturnal hunts. The Barau Petrel, a seabird endemic to Reunion Island, is even directly threatened with extinction. The lights disorient its young during their first flight, they then fall to the ground and become easy prey for predators

About the Bird Protection League:
Founded in 1912, the LPO is today the first French association dedicated to the protection of nature, with more than 160,000 people committed alongside it. She is the official representative in France of BirdLife International, a global alliance bringing together more than 120 naturalist associations around the world.

The LPO acts on a daily basis to protect birds and biodiversity through 3 major missions:

- knowledge and conservation of wild species

- the development and preservation of natural spaces

- public awareness and mobilization.

La Poste, a player committed to biodiversity:
The scale of biodiversity loss requires massive awareness and collective action in all political and economic spheres. Climate change strongly contributes to the erosion of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystems.

La Poste, a company with a mission, has been committed to biodiversity since 2021. The La Poste Group's Biodiversity Policy aims to preserve the benefits provided by the good condition and proper functioning of ecosystems. Thus, the Group is implementing an action strategy aimed in particular at reducing the biodiversity footprint of its buildings, regenerating ecosystems by participating in particular in achieving “zero net loss” of biodiversity and ZAN 2050 (Zero Net Artificialization) , develop biodiversity co-benefits through GHG compensation programs for its transport activities, evaluate and reduce the footprint of the portfolios of its Banking/Insurance activities. In summary, the group is committed to promoting the protection of biodiversity across all of its activities and its heritage.