By Precious John, Special Correspondent
The air and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, DHL Global Forwarding, has introduced another Sustainable Marine Fuel (SMF) service for ocean freight as part of their sustainability strategy. Following the success of the launch of a similar service for Less-than-Container Load (LCL) shipments, they are now extending the carbon reduction option to Full-Container Load (FCL) shipments. Customers can easily choose the use of sustainable biofuels e.g. via the myDHLi Quote + Book function, which also includes a carbon calculator. Offering the option of using SMF is another step towards cleaner and greener ocean freight, in line with Deutsche Post DHL Group’s Mission 2050 of zero emissions logistics.
“The launch of our Sustainable Marine Fuel service for the neutralization of carbon emissions for LCL shipments was very successful” says Global Head of Ocean Freight, Global Forwarding, Dominique von Orelli. “The SMF based service makes it easy for our customers to reduce their carbon footprint and has been very well received so far. We are very excited that we can now also offer this option for FCL shipments and provide our customers with the opportunity to decarbonize their entire ocean freight trade lanes.”
With the launch of the SMF service, which is now available for all ocean freight shipments, DHL Global Forwarding is not only making it easier to access sustainable deliveries for its customers, but also raises awareness for sustainable alternatives. The carbon reduction is achieved by DHL Global Forwarding purchasing SMF through partners and matching it with the amount consumed in the FCL shipment. Through the “book & claim” mechanism, there is no requirement for physical traceability of the fuel through a supply chain, as the environmental attributes of the SMF are separated from and can be purchased independently from the physical fuel.
As the first customer globally, international fashion company Lindex is switching to sustainable marine fuel for its FCL ocean freight. As a result, Lindex is decarbonizing its entire ocean freight shipments with the help of DHL Global Forwarding.
“We are at a turning point for our entire society. It is time to embrace innovation and collaboration, and together create the new normal we all would like to see – business models that are climate neutral, empowering, circular and truly sustainable. To switch our ocean freight to sustainable biofuels fuels was a natural step for us to take on our journey”, Director of Logistics at Lindex, Johan Engen.
The use of sustainable marine fuels is an important lever for DHL Global Forwarding to reduce the environmental footprint of ocean freight. When selecting sustainable marine fuels, care is taken to ensure that they are produced with sustainable feedstock and do not conflict with other sustainability requirements, such as food production. Waste-based biofuels must meet the requirements to be considered the cleanest biofuels currently available on the market according to strict sustainability standards. With the goal of “burn less, burn clean”, the logistics provider aims to optimise carbon consumption across its network, fleet, and real estate. As part of this, DHL has a GoGreen carrier rating programme that allows the freight forwarder to give preference to carriers with strong environmental performance.
Offering a sustainable fuel alternative for ocean freight is another step within the Group’s sustainability efforts. By 2030, the Group wants to invest 7 billion euros in climate-neutral logistics solutions and cover at least 30 per cent of fuel requirements by sustainable fuels, according to their recently published sustainability roadmap.
