DHL cutting carbon emissions with increased rail use
DHL Global Forwarding is increasing its use of rail transport in Germany, in transporting containers to the loading terminals of shipping companies to cut carbon emissions. The company said from now on, it will use its rail network for consolidated freight containers going from its transshipment facility in Bremen to terminals of shipping companies in Hamburg and Bremerhaven.
The containers had previously been transported by road.
The air and sea freight unit of Deutsche Post DHL said the change should cut carbon emissions by 365 tons a year.
Dr Jürgen Klenner, vice president of DHL Global Forwarding Germany’s strategy and business program, said: “As much as 50% of a product’s carbon footprint is generated in the course of transportation. Together with the shipping companies, we will continue to develop environmentally friendly solutions for logistics processes in the future.”
DHL trialled its rail transport project from the beginning of April 2011, proving its efficiency in a regular operation before the latest offer to include transport to other shipping companies as well.
The container redistribution facility at Bremen is one of the most important sea freight transshipment centres in Europe, the company said, with around 7,500 consolidated freight containers transported to terminals of various shipping companies.
Deutsche Post DHL is aiming to cut 30% of its emissions by 2020 under its GoGreen initiative, from a 2007 benchmark year.
It said yesterday it was “well on the way” to achieving the target, already having met its interim target to improve its own energy efficiency by 10% by 2012.
