DHL Express and DHL Global Forwarding have signed a contract renewal with IAG Cargo, the cargo handling division of International Airlines Group (IAG), to use an additional 60 million litres of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on behalf of DHL, further boosting its sustainability goals.

The new contract covers 2024 and 2025 emissions and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 165,000 metric tons of CO2e.

DHL said in the announcement that the annual emissions reduction would be equivalent to removing a B747-400 freighter from DHL's intercontinental operations from the UK to the US — which makes the partnership the largest SAF agreement between an airline and a customer to date.

The SAF used in this collaboration is certified by International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) and is derived from sources such as used cooking oil and food waste.

The announcement noted that compared to conventional jet fuel, this type of SAF has been proven to achieve around 80% lower lifecycle emissions. The SAF used will mainly be delivered to London Heathrow.

"We strongly believe that collaboration is the foundation of a more sustainable future. Both DHL and IAG Cargo share a strong commitment to carbon footprint reduction. We are pleased that we can now mark another milestone on our journey towards more sustainable air freight," said Travis Cobb, EVP Global Network Operations & Aviation at DHL Express. 

"SAF, in combination with our 'book and claim' approach, is currently the most efficient and convenient method to reduce GHG emissions in air freight. This solution enables us to decrease GHG emissions at their source and allocate the reductions achieved to our customers through certificates," said Max Sauberschwarz, global head of Air Freight at DHL Global Forwarding.

David Shepherd, chief executive officer at IAG Cargo, said the partnership with DHL is a testament to the companies' "shared commitment to decarbonising aviation."

"By utilising 60 million litres of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, we are not just reducing our carbon footprint by an estimated 165,000 metric tons of CO2e, we are demonstrating the power of collaboration in driving meaningful change," he said.

"This reinforces IAG Cargo's commitment to sustainable air freight solutions and brings us closer to achieving our Group goal of net-zero emissions by 2050," he added.

SAF an integral part of DHL's GoGreen Plus Service

DHL noted that it offers customers the opportunity to make their supply chains more sustainable. 

DHL, for example, has introduced the GoGreen Plus service, which allows customers to decarbonize their transportation by choosing sustainable fuels and GHG emissions-reduced solutions for ocean freight, air freight, and land transport.