DHL Express and DHL Global Forwarding are to use an extra 60 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) under a renewed contract with IAG Cargo.
The new contract covers 2024 and 2025 emissions and is the largest SAF agreement between an airline and a customer to date, say the partners. It will cut greenhouse gas emissions by around 165,000 tonnes, of the equivalent to removing a B747-400 freighter from DHL’s intercontinental operations from the UK to the US.
The SAF used will be certified by International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) and derived from sources such as used cooking oil and food waste. Compared to conventional jet fuel, this type of SAF has been proven to achieve around 80% lower lifecycle emissions. The SAF used will mainly be delivered to London Heathrow.
IAG Cargo chief executive, David Shepherd, said: “By utilising 60 million litres of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, we are not just reducing our carbon footprint by an estimated 165,000 tonnes of CO2e, we are demonstrating the power of collaboration in driving meaningful change. This reinforces IAG Cargo’s commitment to sustainable air freight solutions and brings us closer to achieving our group goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.”
Global head of air freight at DHL Global Forwarding, Max Sauberschwarz, added: “SAF in combination with our ‘book and claim’ approach is currently the most efficient and convenient method to reduce GHG emissions in air freight. This solution enables us to decrease GHG emissions at their source and allocate the reductions achieved to our customers through certificates.”
DHL is offering its GoGreen Plus service, which allows customers to decarbonize their transportation by choosing sustainable.