DHL Express Singapore improves carbon efficiency by 15.7%

DHL Express Singapore achieved a 15.7% improvement in its CO2 efficiency for 2010 evensurpassing the average 14.1% increase for the whole Asia Pacific region thanks to its focus on

Through the adoption of this three-pronged approach, DHL Singapore managed to achieve such highcarbon efficiency despite the increased shipping volumes in the region.

DHL Singapore highlighted the importance of active fleet management for managing the carbonfootprint. Singapore is the first country in Asia to implement the Vehicle Energy ReductionProgramme (VERP) in a pilot trial in one of DHL’s service centres in the country to monitor andimprove fuel economy by changing driver behaviours.

VERP uses in-vehicles GPS and vehicle diagnostics units installed in 17 vans to capture data onvehicle location, speed, fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and acceleration over three axes. The datais transmitted wirelessly to a server and presented through an interactive web-based reporting toolwhich is then used to track and analyse the data. During the nine-week trial period, DHL Singaporealready saw a 5% improvement in fuel efficiency.

A big driver of carbon footprint in Singapore is real estate contributing to the bulk of DHLExpress CO2 emission in the country. To reduce energy consumption, the company has implementedseveral energy-saving initiatives such as the installation of energy-efficient T5 lighting, use ofelectric-powered forklifts and incorporation of power-save options on the Material Handling Systemthus helping to improve carbon efficiency.

Many employees at DHL Singapore actively help achieve the GoGreen target. To boost thesepositive contributions, DHL Singapore is increasingly focusing on employee engagement in theday-to-day green initiatives.

Herbert Vongpusanachai, Managing Director, DHL Express (Singapore), commented, “As climatechange issues take centre stage globally, ensuring sustainability has become a central aspect ofour business and is an integral part of our day-to-day operations. The double digit improvement asreflected in the results of the 2010 carbon accounting process is the best indicator to show thatwe are doing the right things to improve our carbon efficiency.”

In recognition of its efforts towards environmental protection and sustainability, DHL turnedout to be the winner in the Enterprise Sustainable Business category at the recent SingaporeSustainability Awards 2011. Presented by the Singapore Business Federation, the award serves torecognise the innovative and impactful sustainable business practices and green solutions ofcompanies in Singapore that contribute to sustainability.

In 2008, Asia Pacific started calculating its carbon footprint from energy consumption in realestate and ground transport and developed a robust carbon accounting process that now covers over1,000 facilities in 27 markets across the Asia-Pacific. As a result, DHL said it is able toaccurately measure and see the results of its efforts in improving carbon efficiency throughabatement programmes.