13 / 52
11
GETTING MOVING ON CLIMATE NEUTRALITY
When your company’s annual emissions are about the same
as Croatia’s, moving towards climate neutrality may seem like
a tall order.
But Deutsche Post DHL—the world’s leading mail and logistics
services group—is among a number of key players in the
transport sector to have joined the Climate Neutral Network.
Transport accounts for about one-fifth of global carbon dioxide
emissions, and that proportion is projected to rise steadily as
car sales soar in developing countries, and aviation continues
its relentless expansion. The International Energy Agency
forecasts that transport emissions will rise by 80 per cent
between now and 2030.
Yet transport has barely been touched by the international
mechanisms designed to tackle climate change. Of more than
1800 projects earning carbon credits under the UN Clean
DevelopmentMechanism(CDM),justtwoaretransport-related.
Two crucial parts of the sector—international aviation and
shipping—are entirely excluded from the targets of the Kyoto
Protocol, because no single country is deemed responsible for
their emissions.
So the involvement of major transport companies in voluntary
initiatives to calculate, minimize and offset their emissions is
crucially important.
Deutsche Post DHL’s global footprint in 2008 is estimated
at 32 million tonnes of CO
2
emissions, the equivalent of the
emissions of a small country. Through its extensive network
and infrastructure, it touches approximately five per cent of
total global trade volume, employing around 500,000 people,
and using 120,000 vehicles and 319 aeroplanes.
So what is the company doing about its substantial footprint?
Deutsche Post DHL’s “GoGreen” programme, launched in 2008,
has the central goal of improving the company’s CO
2
efficiency
(emissions per shipment, tonne, kilometre or square metre) by
30 per cent by 2020.
This is especially challenging as it includes Scope 3 emissions—
those outside the company’s direct control. In Deutsche Post
DHL’s case this accounts for the great bulk of its emissions—
more than 25 million tonnes, largely from subcontracted
transport companies.
To achieve its target, a wide-ranging programme is being
introduced across the company’s operations, spanning the use of
moreefficient trailersandaircraft, newlogistics technologies tocut
down on truck-miles, and specialist services and products to help
customers and contractors to reduce their own CO
2
footprint.
Among these original initiatives is the use of the first modern
ocean-going cargo vessel to be powered partly by wind—the
MS Beluga SkySails.
SteffenFrankenberg, VicePresident of theGoGreenprogramme
at Deutsche Post DHL, says, “Our customers are asking more
and more for green solutions. Currently we are running
efficiency analysis projects for the supply chains of some of our
top customers.”
“We believe in the opportunities of a low carbon economy—
for us and for our customers.”
In addition to joint consulting and efficiency projects, Deutsche
Post DHL already offers the carbon neutral shipping service,
GoGreen, to its customers. If a customer chooses to send
their letter, parcel or express shipment “green”, the company
calculates the transport-related CO
2
emissions and offsets
themwith investments in international CDMclimate protection
projects.
Another delivery company, on a more modest scale but still a
significant player in its own area, is making carbon neutrality a
high-profile selling point for its services.