BIFA Awards
Leading the race to fi nd greener logistics solutions
sustainable marine or aviation fuel, there’s no way to know the extent to which a given flight or vessel will use it; you can’t guarantee that. But with our book-and-claim approach, credits are auditable; it does not matter on which flight or vessel the renewable fuels are used, as emissions will be reduced somewhere in the earth’s atmosphere, and the reduction is clearly allocated to the specific customer.” Still, the lack of feedstock and infrastructure means targets for SAF implementation remain somewhat limited. For instance, the UK’s SAF mandate came into effect on 1 January 2025, with the aim of achieving a 10% ratio of SAF in the aviation fuel mix by 2030. That rises to 22% by 2040, a level determined by current availability and infrastructure. DHL complies with the various, continuously evolving standards around greenhouse gas emissions, for instance with its book-and- claim system. But Fowler noted that the variety of national or regional requirements is “confusing”, and said: “Having one standard globally would make sense; you’re either doing it right, or you’re not.” Bottom line As DHL seeks to improve its environmental performance still further, final-mile electrification is high on the agenda, and any new buildings are only approved if the plans are carbon neutral or carbon negative. As a group, DHL is investing extensively to lower its Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions to less than 29 million tonnes by 2030, as it heads toward net zero by 2050. “Traditionally, DHL’s bottom lines were to be the provider, investor and employer of choice. Now, our fourth bottom line is to be the green logistics of choice. Carbon- efficient operations, and a suite of green solutions for customers, will be the only way to have a viable business in the future,” Wright said, pointing to DHL’s ‘burn less’ and ‘burn clean’ offerings. Indeed, added Fowler: “Even the bonuses of our corporate board are partially linked to sustainability.”
As the fi rst global logistics company to commit to a net zero
Paul Fowler
carbon goal (2050), DHL Global Forwarding was a deserving winner of the BIFA Sustainable Logistics and the Environment Award
“ Now, our fourth bottom line is to be the green logistics of choice – Lawrence Wright, DHL Global Forwarding (UK)
O ne example of how DHL Global Forwarding (UK) is putting its products and commitments to work is its partnership with Formula 1. DHL’s fleet of biofuel-powered trucks that serve the European leg of the F1 season now numbers 51, each truck contributing to an average greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 83% compared with diesel-driven counterparts. DHL also uses Boeing 777 aircraft, which are around 17% more fuel efficient than legacy aircraft – and the company has adopted sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), cutting emissions by an estimated 80% per flight compared with conventional jet fuel. In 2024 that saved 5,819.12 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent). One atmosphere Paul Fowler, vice president motorsport – global, observed: “People want to be seen to be working on sustainability. F1 is an early adopter; it’s out front, and it travels the world. Of course there are cost implications for becoming more sustainable but the expense is coming down. It’s no longer prohibitive.”
Lawrence Wright
There are still hurdles – not least the limited and uneven availability of SAF, although Lawrence Wright, vice president, head of sales and marketing, pointed out that the ‘one-atmosphere’ approach means this is perhaps not such a problem. He explained: “If you purchase
Sustainable Logistics and the Environment
American Airlines Cargo provides one of the largest cargo networks in the world with cargo terminals and interline connections across the globe. Every day, American transports cargo between major cities in the US, Europe, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia. Together with wholly owned and third-party regional carriers the airlines operate an average of approximately 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in over 50 countries.
18 | May 2025
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