DHL Global Forwarding is a division of Deutsche Post DHL providing air and ocean freight forwarding services. Amadou Diallo, CEO – Middle East & Africa at DHL Global Forwarding articulates the sustainable steps taken by the organization to reduce the carbon footprint in an exclusive interview with The Integrator.

Tell us about the revolutionary last-mile services DHL Global Forwarding introduced to reduce its carbon footprint

DHL Global Forwarding is committed to reducing its carbon footprint. We have pledged to spend EUR7 billion on sustainable fuel and clean technologies by 2030 to reduce CO2 emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. At DHL, we remain very focused on enhancing last-mile delivery, a crucial component of e-commerce fulfillment, which can be made more efficient with the deployment of artificial intelligence and automation. We are working on several innovations, service upgrades, and expansion plans.

We also aim to put more than 80,000 e-vehicles on the road by 2030. This will account for more than 60% of our last-mile vehicles. We will also increase the use of sustainable aviation fuels to more than 30% by 2030. In addition, all new buildings will be designed to be carbon neutral. We plan to offer green alternatives for all our core products and solutions.

Elaborate on DHL’s other zero-emission projects and achievements

We have introduced many projects to reduce our carbon footprint. For example, we launched a new, more comprehensive Carbon Intelligence program as part of our digital customer platform myDHLi where customers have more options to reduce, track and report their CO2 emissions (in setting and offsetting options). With our GoGreen Plus Service customers have the opportunity to neutralize their CO2 emissions for the ocean and air freight shipments via the usage of Sustainable Aviation and Marine Fuel with only one click. The CO₂ emissions are reduced where they are emitted, what we call carbon insetting and the achieved reduction of our services are transparently passed onto our customers.

In the UAE we have partnered with Total Energies to fulfill our zero-emissions logistics ambition by 2050. This partnership will solarise eight of DHL’s sites in Dubai to cover the equivalent of over 46,000m² of photovoltaic panels, saving more than 6,000t of CO2 in the first year. The whole solar system will produce over 14,000 MWh per year, enough energy to power over 16,000 homes yearly in the UAE. Moreover, eight electrical vehicle charging stations will also be installed – which contributes to the group’s goal of electrifying 60% of its fleet by 2030. In addition, we are pioneering new green solutions in the region. For example, we have launched a new 23,500 -sqm EV Hub in Dubai South to drive the EV circular economy, where batteries can be stored, recycled, repaired, and processed at end of life, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Describe DHL’s “Go Green” initiative and its global impact

GoGreen is part of our worldwide environmental protection program to reduce and avoid the emission of greenhouse gasses and local air pollutants. GoGreen Plus is our service offering sustainable alternatives to our core transport products, such as the usage of sustainable aviation fuel or sustainable marine fuel for transport and contributes to our mid-term sustainability roadmap to have at least 30 percent of fuel requirements covered by sustainable fuels by 2030. The GoGreen Plus Service is based on the displacement principle: the more customers book the service; the more alternative fuel or clean technology is used – making transport chains greener step by step. Following this principle, the appropriate amount of biofuel is purchased for the respective air or ocean freight shipment and used in the partners’ ships and aircraft. The GoGreen Plus Service will enable our customers around the world to fulfill their decarbonization ambitions, with clear and measurable results.

Would you have any current associations with governments (or affiliated) bodies in the GCC?

We are always exploring strategic opportunities with the right government entities, business partners, and markets around the world. Currently, we remain guided by our Strategy 2025, which focuses on harnessing globalization, e-commerce, digitalization, and sustainability for the profitable long-term growth of our business. Our goal is to intensify the trade between Asia and the Middle East (UAE) and further expand trade in Africa while leveraging the most sustainable solutions.

What advice do you wish to give to your business counterparts in the industry ahead of building a sustainable and ecologically balanced world?

Businesses must remember that building a sustainable and ecologically balanced world is a shared responsibility. Sustainability must therefore be closely integrated into the bottom line. Businesses must look at increasing their profitability in a continuous, sustainable way, and embed social and environmental aspects more firmly in their business operations.

At DHL, we take the UN Sustainable Development Goals into account as we go. As diverse as our business models may be, we believe that sustainable development is a must as well as a favorable differentiating feature.