DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, has signed an agreement with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) for the purchase of 33 million liters of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The three-year cooperation represents one of the most significant SAF purchases in the Freight Forwarding industry yet.

AFKLMP has been a long-term, reliable partner and one of the leaders in the Group’s GoGreen carrier certification program for many years. The initiative is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s Sustainability Roadmap, which aims to spend €7 billion on green technologies by 2030 and reduce all logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050.

With our Sustainability Roadmap, we have set ourselves ambitious goals on our journey towards zero emissions. Sustainable fuels are a fundamental part of our efforts. That is why we have committed to covering at least 30 percent of air freight and ocean freight fuel requirements with sustainable fuels by 2030. Our partnership with AFKLMP will help us achieve that goal. At the same time, it serves as another example of the success of our book & claim system, which ensures that reductions in Scope 3 emissions are attributed to our customers.

—Tim Scharwath, CEO DHL Global Forwarding, Freight

The collaboration underpins DHL's efforts to support sustainability, recognizing the vital role of SAF in decarbonizing the air freight industry. The logistics expert expects the partnership to save 80,000+ tons of carbon dioxide emissions by blending SAF with regular aviation fuel in AFKLMP flights. DHL allocates the benefits to its customers, helping them reduce their carbon footprint.

DHL’s partnership with AFKLMP will work similarly to earlier collaborations, with customers benefiting from the partnership through a book and claim system. When purchasing a DHL service, they can select the sustainable option. The related Scope 3 emissions reduction will be credited to their account. Since it is nearly impossible both technically and logistically to physically track SAF from production to the airplane, book & claim offers a digital accounting system to track and transfer emissions reductions from sustainable fuels across the value chains. Companies can own SAF by buying and selling it without physically tracing the fuel through the supply chain. This makes SAF accessible for companies of all sizes and locations.