News / DHL leads the charge as forwarders pick up the pace of decarbonising services

© Manoonpan Phantong

Forwarders big and small are making significant inroads into decarbonisaton.

DHL Global Forwarding said today it had extended its carbon reduction option to full-container load (FCL) shipments and customers could choose, via the myDHL platform, to buy sustainable biofuels.

The forwarder launched the initiative in the LCL market, but said its success had allowed it to extend into FCL.

“The launch of our Sustainable Marine Fuel (SMF) service was very successful,” said Dominique von Orelli, global head of ocean freight.

“The 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 decarbonise their entire ocean freight tradelanes.”

DHL GF will buy SMF and match it with the amount consumed in an FCL shipment. The “book and claim” mechanism does not require physical traceability of the fuel through a supply chain, but customers will be able to cite lower emissions.

Fashion company Lindex was the first customer to switch to SMF for its FCL ocean freight and Johan Engen, director of logistics, said: “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.”

The move towards decarbonisation is now picking up pace, with smaller forwarders starting to offer offsets and other schemes to customers. One independent forwarder told The Loadstar: “It’s a pretty big deal these days, and will only continue to grow in importance.”

Another added: “It really is becoming very high profile and prevalent in logistics, especially with shippers, and it will now only escalate to become a necessity.”