- Deal represents one of the most significant SAF purchases in the freight forwarding industry
- Similar to DHL’s other air and ocean freight cooperations, customers will benefit from CO2 reductions via a ‘book & claim’ system
DHL Global Forwarding has signed an agreement with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) for the purchase of 33m litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The three-year cooperation represents one of the most significant SAF purchases in the freight forwarding industry.
The initiative is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s Sustainability Roadmap, which aims to spend €7bn on green technologies by 2030 and reduce all logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050.
Said Tim Scharwath, CEO DHL Global Forwarding, Freight: “With our Sustainability Roadmap, we have set ourselves ambitious goals on our journey towards zero emissions. Sustainable fuels are a fundamental part of our efforts.
“That is why we have committed to covering at least 30 percent of airfreight and ocean freight fuel requirements with sustainable fuels by 2030. Our partnership with AFKLMP will help us achieve that goal.
“At the same time, it serves as another example of the success of our ‘book & claim’ system, which ensures that reductions in Scope 3 emissions are attributed to our customers.
“We must all work together to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon – and ultimately zero-carbon – emissions transport sector. After all, we only have one planet,” .
The collaboration underpins DHL’s efforts to support sustainability, recognising the vital role of SAF in decarbonizing the airfreight industry. The logistics expert expects the partnership to save 80,000+ tons of carbon dioxide emissions by blending SAF with regular aviation fuel in AFKLMP flights.
The higher proportion of SAF, the lower the carbon emissions. This way, actual carbon reduction is achieved. DHL allocates the benefits to its customers, helping them reduce their carbon footprint.
Said Adriaan den Heijer, EVP Air France KLM Cargo and Managing Director Martinair: “The Air France KLM Martinair Cargo teams are strongly committed and feel responsible for creating a sustainable future for our industry.
“This deal is a great opportunity to accelerate our joint sustainability efforts. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has a lot of potential to reduce CO2 emissions and we are delighted to collaborate with our strong, long-term partner DHL Global Forwarding on this journey to greener logistics and transportation in the coming years.”
DHL’s partnership with AFKLMP will work similarly to earlier collaborations, with customers benefiting from the partnership through a ‘book and claim’ system.
When purchasing a DHL service, they can select the sustainable option. The related Scope 3 emissions reduction will be credited to their account.
Since it is nearly impossible both technically and logistically to physically track SAF from production to the airplane, ‘book & claim’ offers a digital accounting system to track and transfer emissions reductions from sustainable fuels across the value chains.
Companies can own SAF by buying and selling it without physically tracing the fuel through the supply chain. This makes SAF accessible for companies of all sizes and locations.
