DHL offers free carbon neutral delivery in Germany

DHL Parcel is to offer carbon neutral delivery for its private customers in Germany from later this week (1 July). For every parcel delivery in the country, Deutsche Post DHL will offset emissions produced during transportation by contributing to climate protection projects through its GoGreen programme, at no extra cost to the customer – becoming the first logistics company in Germany to do so.

“This way everyone can do their part to protect the climate and take on their social responsibility. And it doesn’t cost them anything extra,” said Jürgen Gerdes, Corporate Board member MAIL, who is responsible for Deutsche Post DHL’s parcel business.

Through its GoGreen programme in 2010, the company transported some 1.7bn items, such as letters, parcels and express items. This translated into more than 80,000 tonnes of CO₂ that the Group was able to offset for its customers.

 “We’ll see another steep increase in this number once all the parcels sent by our private customers in Germany are added to this,” added Gerdes.

The move forms a part of Deutsche Post DHL’s plan to improve carbon efficiency by 30% by 2020 – against 2007 levels. To do this, the company said it is relying on a number of initiatives, including the use of alternatively powered vehicles and more efficient route planning.

The results in parcel shipping demonstrate the success of these measures: Since 2007, the average carbon footprint per parcel has decreased from 630 grams to less than 500 grams. This represents a reduction of more than 20% in just four years.

“The logistics industry plays a pivotal role in reducing CO₂ emissions. At Deutsche Post DHL, we’ve embraced this responsibility and have become a pioneer in green logistics. Sustainability is a key component of our corporate strategy,” emphasised Gerdes.

Deutsche Post DHL initiated its GoGreen programme in 2008. Emissions calculations and carbon offsetting values generated through GoGreen are verified annually by the leading international independent certification organisation Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) in accordance with ISO 14064 standards.