Deutsche Post DHL said today that it has beaten its 2012 CO2 emissions reduction target one yearahead of schedule and is on course to meet its “ambitious” target of a 30% improvement in CO2
efficiency by 2020.The company has improved its ‘CO2 efficiency index’ by 12 points since 2007, thus surpassing theinterim target of a 10% improvement by 2012, its Corporate Responsibility Report 2010 showed. Thisoverall improvement from the 2007 basis of 100 points covers its own and sub-contractor emissions.The company’s own CO2 emissions have been reduced by 31%.
DP DHL said that the result was “a decisive step” closer to achieving the goal to improve itsoverall CO2 efficiency by 30% over the 2007 amount by the year 2020. The improvement mainlyreflected efforts to lower CO2 emissions in buildings and the vehicle fleet as well as the use ofstate-of-the-art aircraft for intercontinental flights and investments in new technologies. Thegroup now has about 3,000 hybrid or electric-powered vehicles in operation around the world.
The number of GoGreen shipments more than doubled to 1.7 billion last year, which was almost onebillion more than in the previous year. This enabled the company to offset around 82,000 tons ofCO2 in external climate protection projects. GoGreen products were further expanded to include thelogistics divisions. With its multimodal transport solutions, for instance, DHL Global Forwardingoffers “the most comprehensive package in the industry” for intermodal transport of freightshipments, the company claimed.
To expand the service more widely, Deutsche Post DHL will transport all private customer parcelsin Germany as GoGreen shipments at no additional charge, starting in July 2011.
In other sustainability areas, DHL’s Disaster Response Teams provided assistance in disaster hitareas in Haiti, Chile, Guatemala and Pakistan last year as part of the GoHelp programme. Over 100volunteers were deployed for 83 days and handled 7,000 tons of goods.
As part of its educational initiative GoTeach, DP DHL extended its international partnerships,including with the non-profit organisation Teach for All in the area of educational equality. Here,Deutsche Post DHL supports expanding local Teach For All organisations in Argentina, Chile, Peru,India and Germany as well as setting up new organisations in Spain and Brazil. Last year, apartnership was established with SOS Children’s Villages, which provides career-entry support toyoung people, to begin four pilot projects in Brazil, South Africa, Madagascar and Vietnam.
DP DHL said its sustainability activities had been recognszed last year with various awards andthe company was listed in various recognised international indices, including the Carbon Disclosureand Carbon Performance Leadership Index of the Carbon Disclosure Project. In addition, the Groupwas once again part of the FTSE4Good and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
“A commitment to the environment and society is an integral component of our company strategy.We take our responsibility seriously and invest in sustainability – for instance, in education andinitiatives for the environment,” said Rainer Wend, Executive Vice President Corporate PublicPolicy and Responsibility. “If you want to remain a viable global player for the future, you alsohave to be a part of the solution to society’s problems.”
