DHL Express and DHL Global Forwarding are strengthening their sustainability goals by renewing a contract with IAG Cargo, the cargo handling division of International Airlines Group (IAG), to use an additional 60 million liters of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on behalf of DHL. The new contract covers emissions in 2024 and 2025, and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 165,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
The annual emissions reduction will be equivalent to removing a B747-400 freighter from DHL’s intercontinental operations from the UK to the US – making the partnership the largest SAF agreement between an airline and a customer to date and underscoring DHL’s leading role in sustainable air freight solutions.
The SAF used in this collaboration is certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) and is derived from sources such as used cooking oil and food waste. Compared to conventional jet fuel, this type of SAF engine has proven to reduce life cycle emissions by approximately 80%. The used SAF will mainly be delivered to London Heathrow Airport.
“We firmly believe that collaboration is the foundation of a more sustainable future. Both DHL and IAG Cargo share a strong commitment to reducing our carbon footprint. We are delighted to now be able to achieve the Another milestone in our journey towards more sustainable air freight.”
“SAF in combination with our ‘hold and claim’ approach is currently the most efficient and convenient way to reduce GHG emissions in air freight. This solution enables us to reduce GHG emissions at their source and allocate the achieved reductions to our customers through certifications,” said Max Sauberschwartz, Global Head For Air Cargo at DHL Global Forwarding: “We are delighted that our long-standing partner, IAG Cargo, shares our commitment and supports us in our mission to deliver more sustainable transportation solutions to our customers.”
David Shepherd, CEO of IAG Cargo, said: “This partnership with DHL is a testament to our shared commitment to decarbonising aviation. By using 60 million liters of sustainable aviation fuel, we are not only reducing our carbon footprint by an estimated 165,000 metric tons of CO2, but we are also demonstrating the power of collaboration to create meaningful change. This reinforces IAG Cargo’s commitment to sustainable air freight solutions and brings us closer to achieving our Group’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
Sustainable aviation fuel as an integral part of DHL’s GoGreen Plus service
DHL, a leader in sustainable logistics, offers customers the opportunity to make their supply chains more sustainable. DHL has introduced GoGreen Plus, which allows customers to decarbonise their transport by choosing sustainable fuels and greenhouse gas emissions reduction solutions for sea freight, air freight and road transport.
