DHL Global Forwarding launches GoGreen Plus Service to reduce air-freight emissions

Photo: DHL Global Forwarding

DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, expands its GoGreen Plus Service to provide real emissions reductions through carbon insetting. After successfully introducing the GoGreen Plus Service for ocean freight, customers can now also easily neutralize their CO2 emissions for air freight on all trade lanes. Following the one atmosphere approach, emissions are reduced by replacing the amount of conventional fossil fuel needed with sustainable fuel. Customers can easily pick and choose which parts of their supply chain they want to truly decarbonize. The GoGreen Plus Service can be easily added while booking online, for example, an air freight shipment via the myDHLi customer platform. The launch of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s decarbonized range of GoGreen Plus products is a crucial milestone in making the global logistics industry greener and more sustainable. Other divisions are also in the process of developing their GoGreen Plus Service, as a part of Deutsche Post DHL Group's sustainability strategy and designed as a group-wide service offering.

“Every airplane and vessel emit their exhaust gases into the same atmosphere, and it is not decisive on which route or which means of transport biofuels are used," said Thomas Mack, global head of air freight at DHL Global Forwarding. “From a technological standpoint, our GoGreen Plus Service is currently the simplest, most efficient and sustainable way to reduce CO2 emissions in transportation. As one of the world's leading logistics service providers, we see it as our responsibility to lead the way to greener transportation and to set a good example for others to follow.”

The GoGreen Plus Service is based on the displacement principle—the more customers book the service, the more alternative fuel or clean technology is used, making transport chains greener step by step. Following this principle, the appropriate amount of biofuel is purchased for the respective air or ocean freight shipment and used in the partners’ ships and aircrafts. Just recently, DHL Global Forwarding ordered large volumes of sustainable aviation fuel through Air France KLM Martinair Cargo and United Airlines’ Eco Skies Alliance. The emission reductions also help DHL’s customers to work towards their climate targets. With the book-and-claim mechanism, DHL can pass on the benefits of lower greenhouse gas emissions (scope 3 emissions) to its customers.

With the mission to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 (“Mission 2050”), Deutsche Post DHL Group strives for clean operations for climate protection. The new product offering GoGreen Plus is part of the group’s mid-term sustainability roadmap for 2030 and contributes to the sub-target of having at least 30 percent of fuel requirements covered by sustainable fuels. To reduce CO2 emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, the group will spend 7 billion euros in sustainable fuel and clean technologies by 2030.