DHL introduces new reporting standards for GoGreen services

Deutsche Post DHL demonstrated its increased commitment to environmentally accountable shipping by announcing more in depth reporting of its GoGreen programme earlier this month.

While the German logistics giant previously measured the amount of CO2 produced by its transport services, it will now capture and publish data on other relevant greenhouse gases including methane and nitrous oxide. DHL has stated this will enable greater transparency for customers wishing to ensure that their shipping has the lowest possible impact on the environment.

As of this year, a "climate neutral" service" is available for all DHL customers whereby the carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions precipitated by their shipping are offset through recognised climate protection projects.

DHL also provide a "Green Optimization" service which involves consultation about the entire supply chain of business customers.

Carbon neutral shipping- what's it all about?

Given the great number of air miles flown every day by logistics and courier companies, the fuel consumed in the process and the mass of packaging materials used to ensure parcels are sufficiently protected in transit, it's fair to say that the industry has the potential to impact the environment much more than most: getting goods from A to B is at the heart of logistics, and this will always require fuel consumption and result in carbon emissions. With this in mind, it's important that courier companies take account of their effect on the environment, and strive reduce it wherever possible.

Carbon neutral shipments form part of DHL's "Go Green" programe

But as well as reducing the environmental impact of their business practice, many major carriers also offer customers the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions of the deliveries they contract. DHL, UPS and FedEx all offer what they call carbon-neutral shipping which enable shippers to opt to minimise the effect of their deliveries on the environment by contributing to carbon reduction and conservation projects elsewhere. International Courier DPD were the first to introduce free carbon neutral shipping in five European markets including the UK, in July 2012. Yesterday, a year later, the company announced the extension of this service to an additional ten European countries.

So, does it work? It may seem counter-intuitive to deal with the symptoms rather than the cause of CO2 emissions, but a look at the UPS Carbon Neutral webpage shows a variety of worthwhile projects to which customers can contribute if they opt for the more environmentally friendly shipping option - from wind farms in Turkey to a rainforest rehabilitation project in Burma, from fuel efficient cookstoves in Ghana to biodiversity in California.

A DPD carbon neutral delivery in Prague, Czech Republic

DPD pursue a slightly different route, rather than charging a carbon-neutral fee and using it to contribute to development projects like UPS, the UK carrier uses the term "insetting" rather than "offsetting" - meaning they account for carbon emissions within their own group rather than compensating for them  solely via external projects. Like with UPS, the carbon cost of each shipment is calculated but it is then accounted for via energy conservation in company buildings, use of electric vehicles and reduced fuel consumption, before being offset via conservation initiatives abroad. 

DPD introduces “Total Zero” - free carbon neutral shipping

From now on, DPD customers will have their parcels shipped carbon neutral via Total Zero. The new carbon neutral commitment will initially be available to private and business customers in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, BeLux and Switzerland. 

“We are proud and exited to officially launch Total Zero in these six markets. DPD have been preparing for this moment for some time now and I am sure that our customers will be delighted to know that we are now delivering carbon neutral parcels at no extra charge”, said John Acton, MD of DPD & Executive Vice-President of GeoPost S.A.

The new DPD courier service commitment benefits from a triple mechanism which measures and reduces the emitted carbon and subsequently offsets it. GeoPost’s partner, the French offset company, CDC Climat, will help with the carbon offsetting by supporting international projects such as reforestations in Columbia. 

Action is convinced that DPD’s environment friendly courier services and CO2 offsetting initiatives will mark “an exciting new chapter in our company’s history and we hope that carbon neutral shipping at zero cost will one day become the standard across the industry.”

DPD anticipate to make Total Zero available in additional destinations across Europe in 2013.



Sources: DPD & YouTube