DP DHL launches climate project

Deutsche Post DHL is initiating its own climate protection project. With the introduction of firewood stoves, stainless steel stoves which use less energy and stay warm for longer, in Lesotho, Deutsche Post DHL now wants to finance and co-ordinate its own long-term, wide-ranging climate protection project with the highest internationally recognised standards for the first time.

In 2009 alone, around 38,500 tonnes of CO₂ were offset in this way. The stoves are expected to generate around 20,000 carbon credits a year. The credits should be available to Deutsche Post and DHL customers from 2012.

“The stoves will reduce CO₂ emissions, whilst also contributing to improving people’s living conditions”, explains Rainer Wend, head of Corporate Public Policy and Responsibility at Deutsche Post DHL.

The first 1,300 stoves are expected in Lesotho in December 2010 and by 2012 a total of around 10,000 stoves will be supplied, which should replace the traditional way of cooking on open fires. The so-called Save 80 stove was developed specifically for this region’s conditions: it requires only a minimum amount of firewood and reduces CO₂ emissions by 80% compared with conventional cooking methods. As a result of the reduced firewood consumption, deforestation and soil erosion in Lesotho will also be reduced.

In addition to the project in Lesotho, Deutsche Post will continue to acquire carbon credits from external projects, in order to 100% offset its customers’ CO₂ emissions. Today, the Group purchases credits from various climate protection projects which have CDM Gold Standard, a seal of approval from environmental organisations, companies and governments, which takes account of ecological and social criteria.

The CO₂ offsetting process is in line with the United Nations’ Kyoto Protocol. To successfully implement the climate protection project in Lesotho, Deutsche Post DHL is working with atmosfair GmbH, one of the world’s leading offsetting agencies, which successfully registered the first stove project with the United Nations in 2009.

“Every day another part of Lesotho’s natural bush disappears because its people have no other fuel for cooking. The new stoves use 80% less wood; we can therefore initiate a turning point, both for the families and for the benefit of the environment”, said Barbara Wagner, atmosfair’s project manager.